Catalina Corona, 61, of Corona, Queens, was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft after allegedly stealing approximately $10 million from an elderly married couple, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced on Thursday.
Corona, employed as a personal assistant to the couple, forged their signatures on checks from multiple bank accounts between 2017 and 2024. She repeatedly deposited checks made payable to herself, written to cash, without the victims’ knowledge or consent.
In addition to forging checks, Corona posed as one of the victims when calling their bank to request confidential account information. In April 2024, one of the victims received an unexpected call from the bank regarding checks written to cash, which led to the discovery of the fraudulent activity. The victim was unaware of the transactions, which ultimately revealed that Corona had been withdrawing money and transferring funds directly from their accounts into her own.
Investigators confirmed that Corona used nearly $10 million in stolen funds for personal expenses, including luxury purchases such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Gucci items. She spent over $1 million on Louis Vuitton merchandise, including high-end luggage, handbags valued at more than $10,000, and clothing. On one occasion, Corona even used more than $25,000 in stolen funds to pay for airline travel in a single day.
Corona now faces serious charges, including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, with the possibility of up to 30 years in prison.
