Passaic County Man Charged with Embezzling $2.9 Million from Elderly Couple

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was arrested today in connection with his role in embezzling approximately $2.9 million from an elderly couple, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In 2018 an elderly New Jersey couple hired Gallo to work as a part-time personal assistant at their residence. Gallo’s duties included managing the victims’ monthly bills and banking and assisting them with email and other computer/technology-related issues. From March 2022 through March 2023, Gallo, used his position to engage in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate approximately $2.9 million from the victims’ accounts. Gallo accomplished this fraud by routinely using the victims’ ATM card to withdraw large amounts of money, opening a line of credit, cashing checks made payable to himself drawn on the victims’ bank accounts, and using the victims’ credit cards to purchase computer equipment, gaming systems, collectible items from online retailers, and other unauthorized transactions.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; and the Hawthorne Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Knepper, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Ridgewood Police Department under the direction of Chief Forest R. Lyons for its assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.