Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that the former finance manager for a White Plains-based construction company was arraigned last week on allegations that she stole over $50,000 from the firm and committed numerous other felonies.
Michele Rinaldo, 52, of The Bronx, was arraigned Aug. 13 in Westchester County Court on one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count of Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, three counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, and one count of Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor.
Rinaldo pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Melissa Loehr released her on her own recognizance as none of the charges are bail-eligible. A conference in the case is scheduled for Sept. 24.
DA Cacace said: “The defendant’s alleged thefts were as brazen as they were careless. Not only do these kinds of frauds hurt honest small businesses, they drive up the cost of doing business for everyone in Westchester County. I commend our partners at the U.S. Social Security Administration and the North Castle Police Department for helping to uncover this scheme.”
According to a felony complaint earlier filed in the case, Rinaldo managed the books and payroll for a White Plains-based construction firm from September 2022 to March 2023. During this time, she issued 34 separate payments from the firm to two personal bank accounts, according to the complaint.
The complaint further alleges that shortly after making each payment, Rinaldo would go into the firm’s payroll systems and change the listed payee on the transaction from her name to “US Treasury,” “United States Treasury” or “United S Treasury.”
The amounts allegedly diverted to Rinaldo’s personal accounts totaled over $200,000, according to the complaint.
The investigation was conducted by the North Castle Police Department, the U.S. Social Security Administration (Office of the Inspector General), the New York City Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
