Westchester court: Paterson woman faces 18 to 36 months for dual business thefts
A judge ordered the defendant to repay over $138,000 to two employers and the state tax agency after she admitted to siphoning funds during overlapping job stints.
By Stella Brooks ·
Michelle Pennant, 48, of Paterson, New Jersey, will spend between 18 months and three years in state prison after a Westchester County judge sentenced her on Wednesday. The ruling marks the final step in a fraud case involving two former employers in the region.
The court determined that Pennant stole $70,250.46 from a Westchester-based construction company where she worked from March 2023 to April 2024. She also took $62,548.08 from a home decorating business between April 2022 and April 2024. The two companies were not identified by name in the proceedings.
Judge Erin McGoey handed down the sentence after Pennant pleaded guilty on June 17. She admitted to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud. Prosecutors noted that she also failed to pay state taxes on the stolen income.
As part of the judgment, McGoey ordered Pennant to pay $138,395.54 in restitution. This amount includes approximately $132,800 for her former employers and $5,597 for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced the sentence on Wednesday.
The investigation was a joint effort involving the Harrison Police Department and the state tax agency. Economic Crimes Bureau Chief Gwen Galef led the prosecution, supported by investigators and a forensic accountant from the district attorney's office.
