Personal Assistant Pleads Guilty to Stealing $10 Million from Elderly Employers

Catalina Corona, a 62-year-old personal assistant from Corona, Queens, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a federal court in Brooklyn on April 8, 2026. She was accused of orchestrating a scheme that defrauded her elderly employers, Richard and Priscilla Schmeelk, out of nearly $10 million from 2017 to 2024. The fraudulent activities continued even after Richard Schmeelk's death in 2022, as Corona exploited his widow's accounts.

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During her employment, Corona deposited hundreds of checks made payable to herself from the Schmeelks' bank accounts without their consent. She also impersonated Priscilla Schmeelk during phone calls to the bank to obtain account information. The scheme was uncovered when Priscilla Schmeelk received an inquiry from the bank regarding checks written out to cash, which she had never authorized. Investigators found that Corona had forged checks and transferred funds directly into her personal accounts.

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Prosecutors revealed that Corona spent significant amounts of the stolen money on luxury items, including over $1 million on Louis Vuitton products, and used more than $25,000 in a single day for airline travel. The funds were also used to pay off her credit card debt and purchase high-end fashion accessories from brands such as Gucci and Cartier.

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Corona faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, along with potential restitution and fines, when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, Joseph Nocella Jr., emphasized that Corona's guilty plea holds her accountable for a calculated scheme that betrayed the trust of her employers.

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Richard Schmeelk, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II, had a distinguished career at Salomon Brothers, where he worked for 40 years. He was recognized for his contributions to investment banking and was awarded the Knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI for his philanthropic efforts.

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Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, Corona's defense attorney, stated that his client "took responsibility for her actions," framing the guilty plea as a step toward moving past the incident. However, the magnitude of the fraud and the betrayal of trust have drawn significant public scrutiny.

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• “Today’s guilty plea means the defendant has been held accountable for a calculated scheme that siphoned nearly $10 million from the very employers who trusted her,” — Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District

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• “took responsibility for her actions. This is the first step toward putting this unfortunate episode behind her.” — Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, Defense Attorney

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Sentencing for Catalina Corona is scheduled to take place in the near future, where the court will determine the extent of her punishment for the extensive fraud committed against the Schmeelks.

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