A late Long Island police detective’s daughter is charged with stealing $246,000 in pension payments after his death and using the ill-gotten gains to purchase a luxe Mercedes Benz and a “gorgeous” seven-bedroom house, officials said.
Alayne Bertolino, 48, whose dad was Nassau County Police Detective Joseph Bertolino, continued to gather his pension payments for 4 1/2 years after his death at age 69 in 2014, state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said.
Bertolino retired from department in 1991 and was receiving a pension via direct deposit right into a checking account jointly held along with his daughter, now a resident of Georgia, the watchdog said.
Pension payments were to stop upon his death.
But Alayne Bertolino didn’t notify the state retirement system of her dad’s death and DiNapoli’s office received a change of address form for the daddy in 2017, officials said.
The payments were stopped when the retirement system became aware of his death.
Bertolino made multiple transfers into her family bank accounts and used the cash to purchase a recent, $70,000 black Mercedes-Benz GL350 and a $556,000 seven-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Cumming, Ga., 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, officials allege.
The “gorgeous custom built executive home” is situated in “highly wanted Fieldstone Preserve w/loads of room for everybody!” in response to Zillow and features hardwoods, extensive millwork and upstairs loft area.
Alayne Bertolino, who pleaded not guilty at arraignment in Albany City Court, told The Post this week the matter “was a misunderstanding.”
DiNapoli disagreed.
“The defendant took advantage of her father’s death to profit handsomely on the expense of Latest York’s retirement system and fuel an extravagant lifestyle,” DiNapoli said, adding his office “will seek full restitution.”
