Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that48-year-old Carrie Zielinski of Depew was sentenced this morning before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to five years of probation.
Between January 2019 and May 2023, the defendant, while working as an office manager and accountant for a medical office in Williamsville, stole more than $162,000 from her employer. The defendant committed the crime by stealing cash from the co-pays paid by patients. The theft was uncovered after another employee noticed a discrepancy in the documented cash co-pays compared to the amount of deposited cash. The defendant was subsequently fired from her position.
Zielinski pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (Class “C” felony), the highest sustainable charge, on February 29, 2024. As a condition of the plea, Zielinski signed Confessions of Judgment to pay the full restitution amount of $162,269.37 to the victim and their two insurance companies. To date, she has not paid back any of the money.
Acting DA Keane commends the Amherst Police Department their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian P. Dassero of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau.