Levittown woman allegedly stole more than $150,000 from ward while serving as his guardian, Nassau DA says

A Levittown woman was indicted on charges of grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $150,000 from a developmentally challenged man while serving as his court-appointed guardian between 2016 and 2019, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced Friday.

Luigia D'Amore, 57, also known as Gina, was arraigned before Judge Fran Ricigliano on one count of grand larceny in the second degree; one count of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in the first degree; and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, all felonies.

D'Amore pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. She is due back in court on Feb. 15. If convicted, D’Amore faces up to five to 15 years in prison.

Attorneys for D'Amore, identified by the district attorney's office as Tim Aldridge at the arraignment and Russ Kofman, did not respond to a request for comment or could not be reached Friday.

D'Amore responded to a request for comment via text message, saying she didn't want her case to appear in Newsday because of her family, writing, "I don't want them involved. Please accept my wishes."

Donnelly said in a statement: “This defendant befriended her alleged victim when they worked together for the Town of Hempstead, ultimately becoming his legal guardian after his retirement and taking control of the man’s finances."

She continued: “For the next several years, this defendant allegedly siphoned more than $150,000 from her elderly victim’s accounts and failed to pay his bills, leaving him to live in a mouse-infested home. The residence fell into disrepair and was nearly lost due to non-payment of taxes. This charged conduct is reprehensible, and my office will ensure justice for the victim in this case.”

Donnelly said D'Amore allegedly failed to provide receipts for cash withdrawals and checks when she submitted accounting information to the court as the victim's guardian. She also allegedly failed to pay the victim's utilities and property taxes, and didn't make repairs on his home.

Donnelly said the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the Bureau of Adult Services referred the case to her office for prosecution.

Asked about the lag between when D'Amore resigned as guardian in April 2019 and when she was charged, the district attorney's office said charges against D'Amore were "the result of an extensive financial investigation, involving multiple records requests, undertaken during the coronavirus pandemic. Due to shutdowns and reduced operations during the pandemic, these requests and access to certain documents were delayed."

D'Amore surrendered to Nassau County District Attorney Detective Investigators on Friday, officials said.

By Olivia Winslow

olivia.winslow@newsday.com@newsollie