Authorities announced Wednesday the arrest of a Long Island PTA mother accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school during the three years she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.
Jody Skarlatos, 43, of Centerch, served as treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA when she allegedly began using association funds to bankroll personal expenses and outings at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.
According to the lawsuit filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, Skarlatos allegedly made problematic transactions as he began defaulting on his mortgage payments in July 2022, prompting his bank to begin foreclosure proceedings. In the lawsuit, he said he owes more than $375,000 in total debt.
He was allegedly caught after handing over control of the PTA bank account to a new board of members in 2023, after alleged irregularities began to surface.
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Jody Skarlatos was arrested Monday for allegedly stealing $50,000 from the elementary school PTA over a three-year period.
(Fox News)
“Parent Teacher Associations serve an important function in school communities throughout Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
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“The allegations in this case represent a betrayal of the trust that Centerach residents placed in this defendant, and my office will hold accountable all those who illegally enrich themselves at public expense.”
Her attorney told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the PTA mom previously worked as a transit officer for the New York Police Department. She retired from the army in January 2025.
According to prosecutors, Skarlatos served as treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA from July 2020 to September 2023.
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A sign for Jericho Elementary School at the entrance to the campus in New York.
At the time, she was issued a debit card only for PTA-related expenses but allegedly used the funds for restaurants, hotels, rental cars, Best Buy, Ticketmaster, Amazon and Verizon Wireless.
Skarlatos allegedly moved cash from PTA coffers to his personal bank account, prosecutors allege.
Additionally, authorities said he continued to make transactions during summer vacations and holiday breaks, periods when school was not in session.
In July 2022, Scarlatos allegedly stopped paying his mortgage, according to a foreclosure lawsuit filed by the US Bank Trust National Association in March 2024. Court records point to mounting financial pressure and debt leading to the action.
The following year, months before he stepped away from his school role, the embattled PTA official started a small fundraiser for a hospital supported by the elementary school, according to his Facebook page.
“Help me raise funds for St. Jude!” she wrote in a Facebook post dated January 17, 2023. “I have joined the fight to help end childhood cancer by participating in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon.
“I’m solving math problems and raising funds to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. You can help me reach my fundraising goal for the children of St. Jude, who are battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.”
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The front entrance of Jericho Middle School in Jericho, NY, November 14, 2024.
Scarlatos transaction allegedly continued until the next board members for the 2023-2024 school year and troubling findings were discovered, according to investigators.
Skarlatos surrendered to the district attorney’s office Monday and was arraigned before District Court Judge Jonathan Bloom on a charge of grand larceny in the second degree, a Class C felony.
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If found guilty, he will be jailed for 5 to 15 years.
The Long Island mother was released without bail and is due back in court May 5, 2026.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Jericho Elementary School PTA and the NYPD for more information.
Original article source: Long Island PTA mom accused of stealing $50K from elementary school while serving as NYPD officer
