An Upper West Side doorman is accused of stealing over $480,000 from a retired teacher and her husband after the lady moved into a nursing home and eventually died, including changing his voice to sound like hers as part of the devious scam, according to Manhattan authorities.
Alfredo Mateo, 38, allegedly began preying on the woman while she was under court-ordered guardianship due to incapacitation, and her spouse continued to live at their apartment at 380 Riverside Drive until his death in September 2022.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Mateo, of Yonkers, began depositing the first of 26 checks he stole from the teacher the day following his death, with the majority of the checks written to himself from the victim’s bank account.
He also allegedly stole $3,000 from his husband’s account.
While draining the couple’s funds, he allegedly planned to withdraw money from the teacher’s annuity and pension, which she received as a city educator.
Mateo looked through a teachers’ retirement form mailed to her residence and submitted five fraudulent forms to the retirement system between May 5, 2023, and October 12, 2023, according to prosecutors.
Upon the instructor’s death in July 2023, the district attorney’s office submitted two documents, which included the distribution of her annuity and a request to transfer her direct deposit to Mateo’s bank account.
He has also been accused of taking many of the pension payments issued to the instructor after her death.
Mateo attempted to call the Teachers’ Retirement System twice to change the phone number on her membership, and after failing the first time, he attempted to change his voice to sound like the woman, who was 91 at the time, authorities say.
Mateo reportedly stole a total of $477,685, according to authorities.
“Those who take advantage of the access granted to them to target older community members and steal from hardworking New Yorkers will face consequences,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
The district attorney’s office has charged Mateo with seven felony counts, including second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, first-degree identity theft, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and related offenses.
On Wednesday night, it was impossible to reach Mateo. James Magee, his lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
