A Pelham Manor man is accused of stealing more than $140,000 that the state teachers' pension system continued sending his neighbor after the retired teacher died, the New York Attorney General's Office announced.
Danilo Pesce, 60, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday, July 30, in Albany County Court following his indictment on a felony charge of second-degree grand larceny.
Pesce was the caretaker for Jack Lee Morgan, who had retired as a Pelham teacher in 1991. According to Westchester County land records, Pesce and his wife were added to the deed of Morgan's Hunter Avenue home in February 2020, one month before Morgan's death at the age of 87.
Without any heirs, Morgan's monthly pension payments of $3,497 should have ended. But the
New York State Teachers' Retirement System did not become aware of his death until April 2024. During those four years they deposited $171,879 into his bank account
Pesce had also been added to the bank account. Starting the month of Morgan's death he began making withdrawals to pay for the maintenance and renovation of the home, where he and his wife lived part-time, according to the AG's Office.
The total amount of Pesce's alleged theft is $143,385, as the state was able to recover $28,594 from the account.
"Danilo Pesce undermined our retirement system by stealing pension funds that did not belong to him,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement, adding that his alleged theft "dishonors the hardworking New Yorkers who have dedicated their lives to teaching and guiding our youth."
Pesce was released without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 19. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
His lawyer could not immediately be reached.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pelham man allegedly stole pension funds after retired neighbor died
