Devin Zielinski, 33, pleaded guilty to grand larceny after stealing more than $230,000 from an elderly New York state pensioner, officials announced Friday. His co-defendant, Amber Diacetis, 31, pleaded guilty to related charges last year.
According to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, Zielinski and Diacetis posed as live-in caregivers while exploiting the victim’s finances over several years.
Details of the financial exploitation
- The victim, an 87-year-old widower with no immediate family support, received $3,526 monthly from his state pension and $2,138 from Social Security.
- From 2018 to 2023, $338,000 was deposited into his accounts; investigators determined over $230,000 was withdrawn by the defendants for personal use.
- During this period, they neglected to pay the victim’s mortgage, property taxes, and utility bills, leading to foreclosure and the loss of his vehicle.
- The victim was left living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, with inoperable plumbing and animal waste inside the home.
Following intervention by law enforcement, the victim was removed from the home and placed in a safe living environment. Zielinski has remained at the property as a squatter during foreclosure proceedings.
Sentencing dates set
Zielinski pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the third degree before Judge Jennifer G. Sober in Rensselaer County Court. He will be sentenced on June 18. Diacetis is scheduled for sentencing on May 20.
Officials condemned the defendants’ exploitation of a vulnerable senior. “Preying on a vulnerable senior citizen to steal his hard-earned pension and social security benefits while forcing him to live in squalor is reprehensible,” DiNapoli said.
The case was investigated by the State Comptroller’s Division of Investigations, New York State Police, Schodack Police Department, and prosecuted by the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office.
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