A Centereach woman who kept the books for the Jericho Elementary School PTA is accused of siphoning off more than $50,000 for a personal spending spree that prosecutors say lasted nearly three years and covered everything from electronics to concert tickets.
The former treasurer, 43-year-old Jodi Scarlatos, surrendered to prosecutors this week and was arraigned on a felony grand larceny charge. She was released without bail and is due back in Suffolk County court on May 5, 2026. Her attorney says he is still combing through the case.
What prosecutors say
According to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, as reported by TBR News Media, Scarlatos served as Jericho Elementary's PTA treasurer from July 2020 through September 2023 and had access to the PTA checking account and a debit card reserved for school-related expenses.
When control of the account shifted to new board members during the 2023-24 school year, the incoming treasurer reportedly spotted irregularities that did not square with normal PTA business. Those red flags prompted an investigation by the DA's Public Corruption Squad, which handles alleged thefts from public and quasi-public entities.
Alleged purchases and pattern
Prosecutors say the PTA money did not just quietly vanish in the shuffle of paperwork. According to charging documents, the account was allegedly used for purchases at Best Buy and Amazon, Ticketmaster charges, Verizon Wireless bills, restaurant tabs and bookings for hotels and rental cars.
Investigators also say several withdrawals from the PTA account were later redeposited into a personal account, a pattern outlined by PIX11. In all, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office contends that more than $50,000 in PTA funds were diverted over roughly three years.
Charges and court dates
Scarlatos was arraigned on a charge of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony that can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison on its highest count. She was released without bail because prosecutors said the charge is considered non-bail-eligible under current New York state law, according to Patch.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara K. O’Donnell of the Public Corruption Bureau. Defense attorney Scott Gross told the New York Post that he is reviewing the allegations and will address them appropriately in court.
Local pattern and oversight
This is not the only PTA-related case on the DA's radar. In March, Suffolk prosecutors charged a Sag Harbor PTA co-treasurer after alleging she took more than $10,000 from that group's account, according to a press release on the Suffolk County D.A.'s website.
District Attorney Raymond Tierney has framed such allegations as more than just bookkeeping crimes, calling them "a betrayal of the trust" placed in PTA volunteers, language echoed in local coverage by TBR News Media.
In the wake of the latest case, board members and auditors are again urging tighter financial oversight for volunteer school groups, including dual signatories on accounts and regular, independent reconciliations of bank statements. Scarlatos is scheduled to return to Suffolk County court on May 5, 2026, where prosecutors are expected to lay out more details of the alleged scheme.
