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New Haven, Connecticut
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has announced that Marlenin Vito, 46, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in federal court to wire fraud, admitting her role in multiple fraudulent schemes across three employers in Connecticut and New York.
According to court records and statements, Vito was formerly employed as a Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility in Stamford (“Company A”), where she oversaw patient trust accounts and Medicaid reimbursements. Between December 2019 and May 2021, she orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving:
- Forging signatures on approximately 500 checks
- Withdrawing and pocketing funds meant for residents, many of whom were mentally or physically incapacitated
- Falsifying ledger entries
- Cancelling residents’ insurance coverage while continuing deductions for her personal gain
- Misappropriating COVID-19 stimulus payments deposited into residents’ accounts, which she siphoned off at $60 per day
The total loss to Company A and its residents was approximately $310,820.
After being terminated, Vito obtained a bookkeeping role at a security company in White Plains, New York (“Company B”), where she submitted false overtime claims for herself and her daughter and used company funds to order over $10,000 in goods for personal delivery. The company was defrauded of $23,558.
Subsequently, Vito worked at a Hartford law firm (“Company C”) as a bookkeeper, where she forged checks made out to “Petty Cash,” cashed them, and covered up the theft in the firm’s accounting records. She stole approximately $27,179 from Company C.
In total, Vito admitted to stealing more than $361,000 across all three employers.
She pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025. Vito is currently released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, with assistance from local law enforcement agencies including the Stamford, Hartford, Ridgefield Police Departments and the Putnam County (NY) Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Nathan J. Guevremont.
