Ex-Jericho PTA treasurer Jodi Scarlatos pleads guilty to stealing $50,000 from organization, Suffolk DA says

A former PTA official from Centereach has pleaded guilty to stealing over $50,000 from the Jericho Elementary School Parent Teacher Association and spending the money on hotels, rental cars and personal shopping, Suffolk prosecutors said Friday.

Jodi Scarlatos, 44, who was the treasurer of the PTA from 2020 to 2023, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny, a felony, in front of District Court Judge James A. McDonaugh on Thursday. 

"Stealing from an elementary school PTA is a disgraceful betrayal of the students, parents and teachers who work hard to give children opportunities to succeed," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "My message for anyone taking advantage of a role of trust like this is that we will find you and prosecute you. This defendant will now have a felony record and will be required to make restitution of every dollar she stole. It’s not worth it."

Scarlatos' attorney, Alia Richards, declined to comment Friday.

Scarlatos has repaid some of the stolen funds as part of her plea agreement, prosecutors said. District Court Judge James A. McDonaugh ordered her to pay an outstanding $32,678.11 in restitution.

Scarlatos had access to the PTA's bank account and debit card while she was the PTA treasurer from July 2020 to September 2023, prosecutors said.

She made purchases at restaurants, hotels, rental car businesses and at retailers such as Best Buy, Ticketmaster, Amazon and Verizon Wireless, prosecutors said, and withdrew cash from the PTA account and deposited it into her personal account.

She also made unauthorized purchases while school was dismissed for the summer and holidays, prosecutor said.

The theft was discovered when new board members took control of the account during the 2023–24 school year. She was arrested in April.

Scarlatos is the second PTA official who pleaded guilty in Suffolk to stealing from their organizations this year.

Hope Livingston, 50, the former vice president of the Sag Harbor Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny for stealing more than $14,000 from the organization’s account, Newsday has reported.

She was sentenced earlier this month to probation for stealing the money, which prosecutors said she spent at Lululemon, Target, Costco, Amazon and other businesses.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.