White Plains, NY – A Bronx woman who oversaw payroll and bookkeeping for a Westchester construction company is facing a slate of felony charges after allegedly stealing over $200,000 from her employer through a months-long scheme that included forged records and identity manipulation.
Michele Rinaldo, 52, was arraigned August 13 in Westchester County Court on charges including grand larceny, forgery, identity theft, and falsifying business records. Prosecutors say she issued dozens of unauthorized payments to her own personal bank accounts while disguising them as legitimate tax-related transactions.
According to court filings, Rinaldo worked as the finance manager for a White Plains-based construction firm from September 2022 through March 2023. During that time, she allegedly issued 34 payments totaling more than $200,000 to two personal accounts she controlled. After each transfer, she allegedly altered internal payroll records to replace her name with misleading entries such as “US Treasury” or “United States Treasury.”
She was charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, Identity Theft, and multiple counts of Falsifying Business Records. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Rinaldo was released on her own recognizance, as none of the charges are bail-eligible under current New York State law.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for September 24.
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace criticized the alleged scheme, calling it both “brazen” and “careless,” and thanked the U.S. Social Security Administration and local police for their role in uncovering the alleged fraud.
Investigators from the North Castle Police Department, the NYPD, and the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration contributed to the case.
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Key Points
- Michele Rinaldo is accused of stealing over $200,000 from a White Plains construction company
- Prosecutors say she disguised unauthorized payments as government-related transactions
- She faces multiple felony charges but was released without bail pending a September court date
Prosecutors say a trusted bookkeeper rerouted business funds to her own accounts and tried to hide the theft behind the U.S. Treasury’s name.
