Nicholas Spano, age 59, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted grand larceny in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Prosecutors said Spano exploited a Huntington woman over a period of more than a year, from September 2019 to December 2020.
He had been recommended by another contractor to perform improvement work on her home.
After gaining the woman’s trust, Spano manipulated the victim into giving him money for various reasons, according to prosecutors.
His behavior later escalated to threatening violence against the woman, her family, and her associates, investigators said.
In all, Spano admitted to bilking the woman out of $200,000, draining her retirement and savings accounts in the process.
As Suffolk County Police officers were arresting him in April 2022, Spano reportedly said, “She’s doing this because I took her for the money.”
“This defendant agreed to help the victim out with home repairs, but instead he exploited his position as a contractor to take advantage of the victim and steal her life savings,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.
“He’ll now face sentencing where my office will seek state prison time to account for his crime," he continued.
"Let this be a lesson to anyone who would scam a homeowner. We will not stand for it.”
Spano faces between two and four years in prison when he’s sentenced in January 2023.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Brentwood and receive free news updates.