Jodi Scarlatos, former PTA treasurer for Jericho Elementary School in Centereach, charged with stealing $50G
Jericho Elementary School in Centereach. Credit: Thomas Hengge
The former treasurer of the Parent Teacher Association at Jericho Elementary School in Centereach has been arrested and charged with allegedly stealing $50,000 from the organization, Suffolk County prosecutors said Wednesday.
Jodi Scarlatos, 43, of Centereach, was arraigned Monday on a felony charge of second-degree grand larceny, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news release. She pleaded not guilty, according to court records.
Scarlatos allegedly stole the funds over a three-year period, prosecutors said. She was PTA treasurer from July 2020 through September 2023, a role that gave her access to a PTA bank account and a debit card that was supposed to be used for PTA expenses, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Scarlatos used PTA funds for personal expenses at Amazon, Best Buy, Ticketmaster and Verizon Wireless, in addition to spending PTA money on restaurants, hotels and rental cars. She also withdrew cash from the PTA account and deposited it in her own account and made “unauthorized transactions” over the summer and during holiday breaks, authorities said.
The alleged thefts were discovered in the 2023-24 school year, when new board members took control of the account, prosecutors said.
The case was investigated by the district attorney’s Public Corruption Squad.
PTAs “serve a vital function in school communities throughout Suffolk County,” Tierney said in a statement. He called the alleged theft “a betrayal of the trust the residents of Centereach placed in this defendant.”
Scarlatos’ attorney, Scott Gross of Garden City, said in an emailed statement, "My client has been a dedicated member of this community for years. While the allegations are concerning, they do not tell the full story. We are carefully reviewing the situation and will address these claims appropriately."
Jericho Elementary is part of the Middle Country Central School District. Superintendent Roberta Gerold said in an emailed statement, "We understand that this news is upsetting to members of our school community. While the PTA plays an important role in supporting our schools, it is an independent organization and operates separately from the district. The funds in question belong to the PTA and are not taxpayer or district-managed funds."
Representatives for the school's PTA did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
Maura McDermott covers education. Since joining Newsday in 2012, she also has worked on the investigations team and covered real estate and the business of health care.
