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Long Island resident Cynthia Rozzell, of Hempstead, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
Prosecutors said Rozzell concealed the death of her mother, Mary Garrett, and collected pension benefits issued to Garrett by the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) between May 2014 and May 2020.
Garrett, who died in 2014, retired from the Malverne Union Free School District in the Town of Hempstead in 1996. She had opted for the maximum payout rather than designate a beneficiary to receive her benefits after her death, prosecutors said.
Following her death, Garrett’s monthly pension benefits continued to be deposited into her bank account.
Rozzell later admitted to diverting those payments into her own account, stealing more than $240,000 over a six-year period, prosecutors said.
NYSTRS finally discovered Garrett’s death in 2020 and halted payments.
“Pension theft is not a victimless crime,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “By stealing her deceased mother’s pension benefits, Ms. Rozzell dishonored countless hardworking New Yorkers who have dedicated their lives to one of our most noble professions: teaching and enriching our youth.”
In addition to her prison time, a judge ordered Rozzell to pay $240,000 in restitution.
Sentencing is set for Tuesday, Oct. 4.
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