Bronx DA: Former BronxWorks Employee Sentenced for Stealing Hundreds of Electronic Devices Meant for Homeless People

FORMER BRONXWORKS EMPLOYEE SENTENCED FOR STEALING HUNDREDS OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES MEANT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE

Stolen Cell Phones Amounted to More Than $140,000

           Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a former BronxWorks employee was ordered by a judge to pay restitution for stealing more than $140,000 from the charity group. 

          District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant stole devices that were meant to help homeless people in the Bronx. BronxWorks, a non-profit in our community, lost a substantial amount of money because of the defendant’s wrongdoing. He has now been held accountable for his actions.”

District Attorney Clark said that Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty today ordered Adam Castillo, 42, of 2987 Webster Avenue, to pay $47,600 in restitution. The defendant also received a $93,700 civil judgement order. Castillo pleaded guilty to third-degree Grand Larceny on March 24, 2021 before Judge McCarty.

According to the investigation, Castillo, who was Purchasing Manager at BronxWorks, a non-profit group that provides cell phones to homeless people, stole 514 electronic devices between January 18, 2017 and July 30, 2018. The defendant, who was responsible for ordering cell phones and tablets, used his login credentials to access BronxWorks’ Verizon account and placed unauthorized orders. All stolen devices were shipped to his attention and 42 of those cell phones were delivered to his parents’ home address. The charity was alerted of the stolen funds when they reconciled their budget. The stolen devices caused the non-profit group to lose a total of $141,356. Castillo was arrested on June 12, 2019.

          The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melanie Smith of the Economic Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Richard Kearney, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau, and William Zelenka, Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Tarek Rahman, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, Chief of the Investigations Division. District Attorney Clark thanked BXDA Principal Accountant Investigator James Antonino and NYPD Detective Paul Sperco of the Special Frauds Squad, Financial Crimes Task Force, for their assistance in the investigation.