Elizabeth Motti, of Farmingville, charged with stealing $440,000 from parents to gamble at Jake's 58
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Credit: James Carbone
A Farmingville woman charged in an indictment with second-degree grand larceny stole more than $440,000 from her elderly parents, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said Wednesday, and used the money to gamble at Jake’s 58 casino in Islandia.
Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro released Elizabeth M. Motti, 55, on her own recognizance Wednesday during an arraignment in Riverhead, Tierney said in a news release. She was ordered to return to court on April 18.
Motti was represented at the arraignment by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, which declined to comment on the case.
Motti became her mother’s caregiver after her mother underwent surgery and her parents moved in with her. An investigation determined Motti allegedly stole $440,063 from her parents between April 2017 and November 2018, Tierney said.
Most of the money — $355,046 — was allegedly stolen from her parents’ bank accounts by using debit cards at ATMs at Jake’s 58. Motti obtained the remaining $85,017 by making cash withdrawals from her parents' accounts, Tierney said.
“Our elder community is at increased risk for fraud and theft,” Tierney said. “We want to place those who choose to exploit our vulnerable populations on notice that if you are caught, you will be held accountable.”
