Overview
- Scarlatos, arraigned Monday on a felony second-degree grand larceny charge, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail with a May 15 court date.
- Prosecutors say she diverted about $50,000 from July 2020 to September 2023 and used a PTA debit card for personal purchases at Amazon, Best Buy, Ticketmaster and Verizon, plus restaurants, hotels and rental cars.
- New PTA leaders for the 2023–24 school year spotted discrepancies after taking control of the bank account, prompting an investigation by the Suffolk County DA’s Public Corruption Squad.
- Her attorney said the allegations do not tell the full story, and records show she retired from the NYPD Transit Bureau in January 2025.
- The district superintendent said PTA funds are independent of the school budget, which means the disputed money did not come from taxpayers.