Suffolk County prosecutors say a trusted office manager quietly bled a Holbrook business of more than $1 million over nearly five years, turning routine payroll and vendor payments into her own personal pipeline.
On March 20, 2026, a grand jury indicted 65-year-old Sharon Blinn of Hauppauge, accusing her of stealing more than $1 million from the Holbrook company where she worked as office manager. Court papers allege the scheme ran from November 2020 through August 2025. Blinn is due back in Suffolk County Court on April 24, 2026, and, if convicted, could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors' account
In a statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Blinn weaponized the trust that came with her job title.
According to Tierney, the defendant "took advantage of her position of trust and siphoned off thousands of dollars week by week," conduct that prosecutors say only came to light after the Holbrook business spotted financial discrepancies. The indictment, returned by a Suffolk County grand jury, followed an investigation by the DA’s financial-crimes unit.
Alleged scheme and timeline
Court documents reviewed by PIX11 state that Blinn worked as the company’s office manager from November 2020 through August 2025. During that time, she allegedly diverted payroll and vendor payments into accounts she controlled.
Prosecutors say the transfers added up to more than $1,000,000 and, as Tierney put it, unfolded "week by week" until the irregularities were detected and the matter was referred to the DA’s office.
A familiar pattern on Long Island
Large embezzlement cases are hardly rare. Nationally, they often climb into seven figures. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2024 report found that roughly 22% of occupational-fraud investigations involved losses over $1 million, and that asset misappropriation remains the most common type of scheme. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners also reports that these frauds frequently go undetected for months or even years before someone spots the red flags.
Long Island has seen its share. In February 2024, Suffolk prosecutors announced the indictment of a Bay Shore bookkeeper accused of embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, a case the DA’s office highlighted as another example of how insider theft can batter small businesses. Details of that case are laid out in a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office press release.
Legal process and what comes next
The indictment in Blinn’s case accuses theft exceeding $1 million, conduct that can support a charge of grand larceny in the first degree under New York law. Grand larceny in the first degree is classified as a class B felony, with a potential sentence that can include up to 25 years behind bars. For the statutory language and sentencing range, see New York Penal Law § 155.42 as summarized by Justia.
Blinn is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Her next appearance in Suffolk County Court is scheduled for April 24, 2026, as the case moves through the pretrial process.
What employers can do
Fraud professionals say the alleged Holbrook scheme tracks with a familiar pattern: a trusted employee with broad access and limited oversight. Basic internal controls, such as separating financial duties, performing routine reconciliations, conducting surprise audits, and offering a confidential tip hotline, can sharply cut the odds that similar conduct goes undetected, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Many companies only tighten their procedures after an ugly surprise, but experts stress that prevention and consistent oversight remain the most effective defenses against costly insider theft.
