Merrick woman accused of $90K theft

A Merrick woman has been arrested and charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $90,000 from the waterproofing company where she worked as comptroller, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Heather DiCostanzo, 46, was arrested Friday morning by district attorney investigators and charged with grand larceny in the second degree. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and was arraigned Friday afternoon in First District Court in Hempstead.

Rice said that between January 2005 and January 2012, DiCostanzo used her position as comptroller for a Roosevelt-based waterproofing subcontractor to embezzle $90,593 from her employer. DiCostanzo’s responsibilities included handling accounts payable and receivable and general control of monies flowing through the business.

DiCostanzo allegedly stole the money by making unauthorized purchases on a company American Express card that had been given to her for business expenses, such as buying materials, paying shipping charges, travel expenses and vendor services, according to Rice. DiCostanzo, however, also used the card to make numerous personal charges, including lodging and airline travel, household appliances, construction materials, concert and theater tickets, and to make purchases at department stores, restaurants, supermarkets, pet stores, service stations and convenience stores.

The theft was discovered in January 2012 while DiCostanzo was on vacation and a fellow employee noticed that pages were missing from the company’s American Express bill. Her employer contacted American Express and found that DiCostanzo had made numerous purchases on the card that were not business-related, including the purchase less than a day earlier of food and drinks just before she boarded a cruise ship.

Her employer put an immediate stop on the card, and she was fired a few days later. DiCostanzo had worked for the company for 10 years and was earning nearly $90,000 per year.

“This defendant lived the high life and duped her employer into picking up the tab, but she could not cover her tracks well enough to avoid today’s arrest,” Rice said. “My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases of employee theft and hold accountable those who brazenly abuse the trust of the hard-working business owners for whom they work.”

Assistant District Attorney Peter Mancuso of the D.A.’s Government & Consumer Frauds Bureau is prosecuting the case.

DiCostanzo's attorney, Michael Alber, said that his client pleaded not guilty in court and was released. "She’s been a person who’s been in the Nassau County community her entire life," Alber said. "She’s never had any criminal record...I believe that, upon investigation, she will be exonerated."