A woman who worked as a Brooklyn courthouse employee allegedly stole $473,000 over the course of a decade, per a court transcript.
Lori Argiro-DiPietro previously worked at the Brooklyn Supreme Court, the New York Post reported Saturday, citing the document:
Argiro-DiPietro, 56, initially pleaded not guilty when she was indicted in February on grand larceny, misconduct and tampering with public records charges for stealing more than $69,000 by voiding cash transactions, then pocketing the money, authorities said.
The theft was uncovered during an audit. She worked for the court system for 37 years before she was fired in August 2022, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office said.
In February, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s alleged theft is a betrayal of the trust of her employer and the public. We will now seek to recover the funds allegedly stolen from the court and hold this defendant accountable.”
SILive.com described Argiro-DiPietro as a supervising cashier.
Brooklyn court clerk stole nearly $500,000 over a decade, transcript reveals https://t.co/DBMKb696JM pic.twitter.com/4QsXcsQtRK
— New York Post (@nypost) September 23, 2023
The suspect recently changed her plea to guilty and repaid the over $69,000 she allegedly took. Officials then sent her to jail on Rikers Island where an inmate was recently accused of beating a correctional officer unconscious, according to News 12 Brooklyn.
Argiro-DiPietro is scheduled for sentencing in the coming week, the Post article said, adding prosecutors also said the amount allegedly stolen was bigger than initially thought.
“Prosecutors had sought a six month jail sentence, plus five years probation for Argiro-DiPietro — and said they may pursue the rest of the stolen funds by going after her in civil court or taking her pension,” the outlet stated.
However, Judge Danny Chun said the woman may receive a lighter sentence due to her lack of a criminal record and because she was willing to plead guilty in the case.
Social media users responded to the Post‘s story, one person writing, “Our judicial system is corrupt and broken,” while another said, “She should have to pay every cent back.”
