Paterson Woman Sentenced for $138,000 Theft From Westchester Employers

Michelle Pennant, 48, of Paterson, New Jersey, will serve between 1.5 and three years in state prison. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced the sentence on Wednesday, October 28. Judge Erin McGoey of Westchester County Court imposed the term after Pennant pleaded guilty to stealing from two former employers.

Prosecutors said Pennant took $70,250.46 from a Westchester-based construction company where she worked from March 2023 to April 2024. She also removed $62,548.08 from a home decorating business where she was employed from April 2022 to April 2024. The two companies were not named publicly. In addition to the thefts, Pennant failed to pay required state taxes on the stolen funds.

Pennant entered her plea on Wednesday, June 17. She admitted to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud. All three charges are felonies.

Judge McGoey ordered Pennant to pay $138,395.54 in restitution. This amount includes approximately $132,800 for her former employers and $5,597 for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

The investigation involved the Harrison Police Department, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and investigators from the Westchester County District Attorney's Office. A forensic accountant also assisted in the review of the accounts. Gwen Galef, chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau, prosecuted the case.

Pennant's sentence begins immediately following the court's announcement.