A Manhattan apartment manager once publicly praised as a devoted caregiver allegedly persuaded a 100-year-old resident to give him power of attorney before stealing more than $350,000 from him.
Rosalind Hernandez, 56, is accused of deceiving elderly victims into giving them their savings, which she then spent on clothing, lingerie and other personal expenses for about a year starting in July 2023. was indicted. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “The victim asked Mr. Hernandez for help, but after they became friends, Mr. Hernandez allegedly broke her trust and stole her hard-earned money for his own personal gain.'' ”
“Those who prey on vulnerable seniors will be held accountable.”
Hernandez, who managed a 53-unit Chelsea co-op, befriended a senior tenant and persuaded him to grant him power of attorney to manage his affairs after he suffered a severe fall from which he had no hope of recovery.
Prosecutors said the victim, who was living with family out of town after his injuries, offered Hernandez $100,000 to sell him his apartment and manage his bank accounts.
In exchange, Hernandez wrote checks totaling more than $450,000 to two people who did not know the victim, and used the victim's debit and credit cards for clothing, skimpy underwear, haircuts, and entrepreneurship training programs. More than $6,000 was raised through shopping, including applications for herself and her niece.
It's unclear whether the recipients of the checks also cashed in the sick scheme, but Bragg said Hernandez pocketed more than $350,000 of the stolen funds.
She also used his card to fund her Lyft account and took trips worth more than $900, prosecutors said.
The elderly victim eventually recovered from his injuries, but disclosed the crime when he returned home and regained access to his financial accounts.
Hernandez was once hailed by one magazine as “the lifeblood of senior residents.” 2023 New York Times Profile.
Her profile described her as an “unofficial companion and caregiver for retirees, widows, and widowers” who lived in more than half of the apartment complexes where she worked.
Defense attorney Vik Pawar said Thursday he intends to contest the charges against his client. According to the Associated Press.
Hernandez is charged with second-degree grand larceny and third-degree grand larceny.
