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NY Art Advisor Who Stole $6.5M From Clients In Years-Long Fraud Scheme Sentenced To Prison
A once-prominent Manhattan art advisor who defrauded her wealthy clients of more than $6.5 million in a years-long scheme is heading to prison.
Lisa Schiff, 54, a well-known contemporary art consultant, was sentenced to 30 months behind bars in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, March 19, after admitting to a massive fraud in which she stole money meant for art purchases and sales, instead using it to fund a lavish lifestyle and cover mounting debts.
Schiff ran her scheme for five years, from 2018 through 2023, using her company, Schiff Fine Art (SFA), to swindle at least 12 clients, one…
Exclusive: SZA Allegedly Scammed By Woman Wanted For $600K+ Hospital Fraud
A New Jersey woman accused of defrauding Pennsylvania hospitals out of more than $600,000 while raising money for assisted suicide has also been accused of scamming Grammy-winning singer SZA.
Taleah McKnight, 30, also known as Abygail Brooks, Chemory Brooks, Taleah Brooks, Leah Osei, and Leah Javon has an active arrest warrant for theft by deception and theft of services, East Hempfield Township Police in Lancaster County announced and Daily Voice previously reported.
McKnight has lived at addresses in Roselle Park and Rahway in Union County as well as Carteret, Middlesex County, New…
Exclusive: Woman Wanted For $600K Hospital Fraud Launches Suicide Fundraiser
A New Jersey woman— with ties to multiple other states — is wanted for allegedly defrauding Pennsylvania hospitals of more than $600,000 by faking a sickle cell diagnosis and has been raising money online for assisted suicide in Switzerland, Pennsylvania State Police announced and GoFundMe confirmed to Daily Voice on Tuesday, March 18.
Taleah McKnight, 30, also known as Abygail Brooks, Chemory Brooks, Taleah Brooks, and Leah Osei, has an active arrest warrant for theft by deception and theft of services, East Hempfield Township Police in Lancaster County said on Thursday, March 14.
McK…
$80K Wage Theft: North Babylon Company, Leaders Admit Cheating Workers Out Of Rightful Pay
A Long Island company, along with its top executives, confessed to shortchanging workers on public school projects and falsifying payroll records.
BJA Renovations Corp., a North Babylon-based asbestos removal and demolition company, and its manager, Joseph Demasco, 67, pleaded guilty to failing to pay more than $80,000 in required wages in Nassau County Court on Friday, March 14.
The wages were owed for work performed at schools in the Merrick and Oceanside Union Free School Districts between 2019 and 2021, according to the Nassau County DA’s office.
The company and its president, Nicholas…
Scammers Stole Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets In $600K+ Ny-based Scheme, Prosecutors Say
Taylor Swift fans are hoping "Karma" comes to whoever scammed them out of expensive tickets to The Eras Tour.
Two people were accused of stealing nearly 1,000 tickets to high-demand events, including the popstar's record-breaking concert tour. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced arrests in the case in a news release on Monday, Mar. 3.
Tyrone Rose, 20, of Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara Simmons, 31, of Queens, NY, were facing charges including grand larceny, conspiracy, and computer tampering.
"These defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift…
Car Theft Ring: 13 Gang Members Stole Dozens Of Cars, Credit Cards In Suffolk County, DA Says
Thirteen alleged gang members have been indicted in Suffolk County for their involvement in a massive vehicle theft and fraud ring, prosecutors announced Tuesday, March 4.
The group, associated with the Hempstead/Freeport-based gang “5-L” or “CC Boyz,” targeted cars across Suffolk County between February 2023 and August 2024, stealing 15 vehicles, breaking into 52 more, and taking 75 credit cards, which they used to make more than $40,000 in fraudulent purchases, prosecutors alleged.
The suspects traveled from Nassau County to Suffolk County late at night or early in the morning, looking fo…
LI Corrections Officer Steals Over $100K In Benefits Meant For Estranged Wife, DA Says
A former corrections officer on Long Island stole more than $100,000 in health insurance benefits meant for his ailing wife, prosecutors said.
Christopher Kowalewski, 49, of Merrick, was indicted for grand larceny in Nassau County Court on Monday, Feb. 10, after prosecutors said he deposited and cashed 11 checks worth $110,000 that were issued for his estranged wife’s back surgery.
Kowalewski, a Nassau County corrections officer, received the checks from United Healthcare between December 2021 and December 2023, according to the DA’s office. The payments were issued under the New York …
NY State Workers Steal Debit Card Info From Disabled Residents, Police Say
Three New York State employees are accused of stealing money from developmentally disabled residents in the Capital Region.
The women, all employees at the Capital District Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) in Clifton Park, were arrested on suspicion of fraud and larceny-related charges following an investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Officials identified the defendants as:
Lashea Pettway, 30, of Schenectady
Jessie Gabriel, 34, of Schenectady
Christin McGrath, 45, of Selkirk
An investigation found that all three women stole debit card …
$709K Wire Fraud In Long Island Lands Illinois Man Charges: Police
An Illinois man is accused of fraudulently obtaining $709,000 from a Nassau County law firm, police announced on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Robert Weathersby, 42, of Calumet City, Illinois, was arrested after investigators determined he orchestrated a scheme to redirect a law firm's payment intended for a known business associate, according to the Nassau County Police Department’s Fraud and Forgery Unit.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at 12:30 p.m., a Nassau County law firm received an email that appeared to be from a trusted associate, requesting a change in payment instructions for an upcoming sett…
$1M Federal Insider Trading Scheme: Sayville Man Implicated, Feds Say
A Westchester man and Long Island resident are among four people charged in connection with their alleged involvement in an insider trading scheme that netted over $1 million in profits, federal officials announced.
David Cooper, age 38, of the Westchester village of Larchmont, and John Lowe, age 61, of the Suffolk County hamlet of Sayville, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Three other men—Randy Grewal, 54, of Anthem, Arizona, and Richar…
Homeless Man Pretending To Be Masonry Worker Scammed Elderly Victims On Long Island: Cops
A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly scamming elderly homeowners across Nassau County by offering fraudulent masonry services, intentionally causing additional damage, and inflating repair costs, police said.
Patrick Wall, who is homeless, targeted elderly victims from September 2023 to January 2025, offering to perform construction repairs on their homes, according to Nassau County Police. Wall convinced the victims to hire him, but during the work, he intentionally caused more damage to their properties and increased the costs of the repairs, police said.
When the victim…
$203K Cash, $80K Gold Bars Swindled From Long Island Woman In Apple Scam
A Brooklyn man is accused of trying to scam an 80-year-old woman out of gold bars in Franklin Square, Nassau County police said on Thursday, Dec. 19.
The victim received a text message claiming her Apple ID had been compromised, prompting her to call a phone number provided in the message, police said. She was connected to a man claiming to be a Chase Bank representative working with the FBI. Between Oct. 10 and Dec. 6, the man persuaded her to give him $203,000 in cash and gold bars "for safekeeping," according to investigators.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, the man allegedly contacted the victim …
