(Cleveland) - A Solon woman was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for embezzling $156,000 from a fund established on behalf of someone entrusted to her care.
Teresita Sidoti, 52, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. She was ordered to pay $156,949 to the victim’s family and $27,797 to the Internal Revenue Service. She pleaded guilty earlier this year to bank fraud and filing false tax returns.
Sidoti worked as a caregiver for Noel Zugay and was the trustee of the Noel Zugay Supplemental Needs Trust.
Federal prosecutors say from 2009 through 2015, Sidoti devised a scheme to defraud the trust of funds held at Huntington Bank for Zugay’s benefit. Sidoti used those funds for her personal benefit. She also diverted deposits that should have been to the trust account into her own personal account, according to the criminal information.
In total, Sidoti embezzled approximately $156,949, according to the information.
Investigators say Sidoti also failed to claim some of this income on her tax returns between 2011 and 2014, according to court documents.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)
© 2018 iHeartMedia, Inc.
Hear news updates at the top and bottom of the hour: wtam.com/listen