Ex-Manager Who Stole From Autistic Residents At Long Island Care Facility Gets Prison

A former manager of a residential care facility on Long Island will serve prison time for stealing from developmentally disabled residents.

Desiree Etheridge, age 50, of North Carolina, was sentenced to one to three years behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Aug. 29, after pleading guilty to felony grand larceny.

According to prosecutors, Etheridge worked as a facility manager at Eden II in St. James. As part of her responsibilities, she regularly withdrew cash from residents’ bank accounts to place in their petty cash envelope so they could go shopping.

• Earlier Report: 'Breach Of Trust': Ex-Manager Admits Stealing From Residents Of Long Island Care Facility

In pleading guilty , she admitted to stealing money from the ATM cards of six residents with autism spectrum disorder between November 2018 and June 2021. It was not immediately clear how much money was stolen in total.

Etheridge surrendered to Suffolk County Police in August 2022.

“This defendant exploited her position in order to steal money from residents’ bank accounts, leaving them financially devastated,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

“Prison is appropriate for any such calculated abuse of power against some of our most vulnerable members of the community.”