Marcia Joseph, of Baldwin, sentenced to almost 2 years in prison for stealing $2.3M from Brooklyn charity where she worked, feds say

""By stealing from a charity she was entrusted to serve, the defendant shamefully diverted resources from those in need to line her own pockets," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement. "Today's sentence makes clear that those who exploit nonprofits for personal gain will face the loss of their freedom and serious financial penalties. Our Office is committed to protecting nonprofit organizations and the communities that rely on them from fraudsters.""

"As part of her guilty plea to wire fraud in January 2024, Joseph admitted stealing $2.3 million from her employer and funneling the money to what prosecutors called a "sham company" called Prestige Business Services, that she had set up using invoices claiming services were provided through a New York City Department of Education program that assists both students and adults in shelters, prosecutors said."

Marcia Joseph, 59, of Baldwin, served as a senior fiscal officer at a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that provides employment and education services to the needy. Joseph pleaded guilty in January 2024 to wire fraud after admitting she stole $2.3 million from her employer over nearly 17 years. She funneled the money through a sham company called Prestige Business Services using more than 500 fictitious invoices tied to a New York City Department of Education program serving students and adults in shelters. Prosecutors said she manipulated the nonprofit’s accounting systems to avoid detection and used stolen funds for home renovations and spa treatments. U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano sentenced her to 21 months in prison and ordered $2.3 million in restitution and forfeiture.

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