A former construction company finance manager is accused of orchestrating a months-long scheme to steal more than $200,000 from her Westchester-based employer, prosecutors said.
Michele Rinaldo, 52, of The Bronx, was arraigned Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Westchester County Court on a sweeping set of charges connected to her alleged theft from a White Plains-based construction firm, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Aug. 22.
According to a felony complaint filed in the case, Rinaldo handled payroll and accounting for the firm, which the DA's Office did not name, between September 2022 and March 2023. During that period, prosecutors allege she made 34 separate transfers into two of her personal bank accounts.
Investigators say that after each payment, she altered payroll records to disguise the transactions, changing the payee from her own name to "US Treasury," "United States Treasury," or "United S Treasury." The total allegedly diverted into her accounts was more than $200,000, according to the DA's Office.
Rinaldo is now charged with one count of second-degree grand larceny; two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument; one count of first-degree identity theft; three counts of first-degree falsifying business records; and one count of second-degree falsifying business records.
"The defendant's alleged thefts were as brazen as they were careless," said DA Susan Cacace, who added, "Not only do these kinds of frauds hurt honest small businesses, they drive up the cost of doing business for everyone in Westchester County."
Rinaldo, who pleaded not guilty, was released on her own recognizance since none of the charges are bail-eligible. She is due back in court on Sept. 24.
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