March 25, 2022 – Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that Lisa Marie Birdsall, the owner of Recycled Paws Rescue in Mohegan Lake, pled guilty to stealing nearly $18,000 from the not-for-profit dog rescue organization.
Birdsall, 56, of Yorktown, pled guilty on March 23, 2022, to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a felony, and Petit Larceny, a misdemeanor. As part of her plea agreement, Birdsall will be required to pay full restitution for the monies stolen to another organization that cares for animals.
Between January 2020 and December 2020, Birdsall stole $17,956 from money that was donated to Recycled Paws Rescue for the care of animals and used the money for her own personal purposes.
The SPCA of Westchester’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit arrested Birdsall on July 13, 2021, following a joint investigation with District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau.
The case is before Judge Alexandra Murphy in Westchester County Court, and is being prosecuted by Economic Crimes Bureau Chief Gwen Galef with assistance from Forensic Accountant Michael Frenza, both of the Trials and Investigations Division. The District Attorney’s Office thanks the SPCA of Westchester’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit for their collaboration on this case.
Birdsall is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2023.
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Jess Vecchiarelli, Director of Communications
(914) 995-3586
jvecchiarelli@westchesterda.n
