Catalina Corona, a personal assistant from Queens, has been arraigned at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Corona is accused of stealing approximately $10 million from an elderly couple she was employed by as their personal assistant. The arraignment took place before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, announced the charges against Corona. "The defendant’s greed knew no bounds," stated Durham. He emphasized his office's commitment to protecting the elderly from fraudulent schemes.
Backschies noted that "the defendant took advantage of an elderly couple who trusted her," highlighting the priority placed on combatting financial exploitation of seniors by the FBI.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2024, Corona allegedly forged signatures on checks from her employers' bank accounts without their knowledge or consent. These activities primarily occurred in Queens and Long Island within New York's Eastern District.
Corona also impersonated one of her employers when contacting their bank for account information. In April 2024, suspicions arose when one victim received a call about checks written out to cash—checks they had not authorized—which led to discovering Corona's alleged forgery and fund withdrawals.
The investigation revealed that Corona used stolen funds for personal expenses such as credit card bills and luxury purchases from brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. She reportedly spent over $1 million on Louis Vuitton items alone and used more than $25,000 in stolen money for airline travel in a single day.
While these are allegations at this stage with Corona presumed innocent until proven guilty, if convicted she faces severe penalties including a mandatory minimum two-year imprisonment for aggravated identity theft and up to 30 years for other charges.
The prosecution is being managed by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola with assistance from Michael Castiglione handling forfeiture matters.