MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a North Baldwin woman has been sentenced to two to four years in prison for stealing more than $600,000 from a Oceanside company that installs automatic doors. As part of her sentence, Donna Salamanca, 38, will also have to pay $658,602.22 in restitution to that company.
Salamanca, (also known as Donna DeJesus) pleaded guilty on August 1 in front of Judge Robert Schwartz to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a D felony).
“For nearly four years, this defendant supplemented her paycheck by stealing more than $650,000 from her employers and used that money to live above her means,” DA Singas said. “Thanks to this sentence, this defendant will serve prison time and the local company she stole from will be repaid.”
DA Singas said from on or about January 2010 Salamanca worked as the comptroller for Door Automation Corp., a business located in Oceanside and was authorized to pay the company’s bills. Between November 2011 and September 2015, Salamanca embezzled $658,602.22 from the company by depositing company checks made out to “cash” or “petty cash” into her personal account and by electronically transferring money into various creditors’ accounts for her personal and family debts, among other ways.
The defendant indicated in company records that the checks were made to purchase various items for the company and to reimburse other employees for work-related expenses. Salamanca used the money for credit card payments, payments to debt collectors, car insurance, telephone bills, student loans and other expenses.
The defendant was terminated when the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien on the business and her employer discovered that she was making late payments to the IRS or, in some cases, no payments at all.
The investigation was initiated after the defendant’s former employer filed a complaint with the NCDA Complaint Unit.
Assistant District Attorney Peter Mancuso of the Government and Consumer Frauds Bureau is prosecuting the case. Salamanca is represented by Stephen Doddato, Esq. and Melvyn Roth, Esq.
###