Louis O'Neill

Assistant District Attorney Louis O'Neill is in charge of the case against a hospital social worker and two of her brothers on charges of stealing money from ill patients.

NEW YORK COUNTY, 17 June 2004 -
Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the arrests of a hospital social worker and two of her brothers on charges of stealing money from three ill patients in her care.

The defendants are: MILDRED PEREZ, a social worker at Beth Israel Hospital assigned to help mentally impaired outpatients managed their daily lives; her twin brother, MILTON PEREZ; and another brother, AMAURIS PEREZ. The defendants all live together in the Bronx.

Mr. Morgenthau said, "It is reprehensible for anyone to abuse a position of trust and cheat susceptible people - the young, immigrants or, as in this case, the elderly and mentally impaired. In this office, we see cases where millions of dollars are involved and while these defendants may have stolen less money, it was a lot of money for these victims. And, most importantly, these defendants took advantage of very vulnerable people."

According to the complaint, the defendants stole $35,000 from three patients whose cases were being handled by MILDRED PEREZ.

The first victim was a 55-year-old resident of the Lower East Side who is an acute paranoid schizophrenic. For years, the victim was able to function on his own; however, a few years ago, his condition worsened and he began receiving treatment at Beth Israel Hospital. MILDRED PEREZ was assigned to manage his case in December 2002. She was supposed to coordinate his hospital care and home life, help him pay bills, remind him of his obligations and to take his medicine. PEREZ ingratiated herself into his life and, ultimately, got control over his apartment, his checkbook and his mail. The defendants are charged with stealing or attempted to steal $22,500 from this victim by writing checks to themselves.

The second and third victims are 77-year-old twins who also live on the Lower East Side. Again, MILDRED PEREZ was assigned to worked with them - she helped by picking up their medicines, paying bills, running errands and going to the bank. One of the sisters was diagnosed with dementia and the other sister has been diagnosed with major depression. MILDRED PEREZ caused one of the sisters to execute a cashier's check for $9,500 payable to MILTON PEREZ and stole one of the sister's pension checks for $1,364.70 which was deposited into AMAURIS PEREZ's account with a forged endorsement. MILDRED PEREZ is also charged with getting one of the twins to execute a cashier's check payment to MILDRED PEREZ for $1,700. The defendants are charged with stealing $12,564.70 from the twins.

Mr. Morgenthau thanked Beth Israel for its cooperation in this continuing investigation.

The charges are Grand Larceny in the Third and Fourth Degrees and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. Grand Larceny in the Third Degree is class D felony which is punishable by up to seven years in prison

Assistant District Attorney Louis O'Neill, who is assigned to the Special Prosecutions Bureau is handling the case under the supervision of Leroy Frazer, Bureau Chief. Financial Investigator Deepti Golash, who is assigned to the District Attorney's Financial Crimes Unit, also assisted under the supervision of Chief Frank Puma.

Full text:
http://www.manhattanda.org/whatsnew/press/2004-06-17b.shtml

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