Hope Livingston, ex-Sag Harbor PTA official, sentenced to probation for stealing $14G from the organization, Suffolk DA says
Hope Livingston, of Sag Harbor, was sentenced to probation on Tuesday for stealing from a school's PTA, the Suffolk County DA said. Credit: James Carbone
The former vice president of the Sag Harbor Elementary School Parent Teacher Association avoided jail time at her sentencing on Tuesday for embezzling more than $14,000 from the organization’s account, officials said.
Hope Livingston, 50, who also acted as the PTA's co-treasurer, pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to third-degree grand larceny and was sentenced to probation on Tuesday for stealing the money from the parents organization to spend freely at Lululemon, Target, Costco, Amazon and several local businesses.
“Restitution is an important part of accountability, particularly when the money stolen was entrusted to a parent teacher association to benefit students and the school community,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “This sentence requires the defendant to repay what she took and serves as a reminder that those who steal from Suffolk communities will be held accountable.”
She was ordered to pay back $14,487 in stolen funds.
"She fully expressed regret for her actions and plans to work on a successful probation and pay back what she owes in hopes of expressing how sorry she truly is," Livingston's defense attorney, Ed Burke Jr., told Newsday.
Prosecutors said that Livingston used her positions as co-treasurer, which she held from July 2021 until June 2022, and vice president, which she held from July 2022 through June 2024, and her access to the PTA’s debit card to drain its funds for her personal use.
It wasn’t until September 2024, when the new board took over, that the PTA realized that Livingston had abused her position, officials said.
She also withdrew cash from the PTA bank account, prosecutors said.
Tax returns for 2021 to 2023 indicated that the PTA had between $45,000 and $65,000 in the bank for those years.
Last year’s return for 2024 indicated that funds on hand have dipped to about half of that.
The PTA did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment regarding Livingston’s sentence or steps taken to ensure against future theft.
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