A 68-year-old Closter man has been indicted on charges that he swindled three New Yorkers out of a combined $343,200 by pitching a phony offshore Levi's jeans manufacturing scheme, promising sky-high returns to victims he met through construction oversight or, in one case, on a vacation in Rome. Michael D'Antoni allegedly told his marks he planned to manufacture Levi's jeans in Medellin, Colombia, and ship them to the United States for resale at a profit, according to court documents cited in the case.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced D'Antoni's indictment, saying he had “allegedly scammed three older New Yorkers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.” The Manhattan District Attorney's Office detailed the allegations in a press release, saying D'Antoni solicited investments in a purported offshore Levi's manufacturing operation and was charged in New York State Supreme Court with two counts of grand larceny in the second degree, one count of grand larceny in the third degree, and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree.
According to the indictment, D'Antoni allegedly stole from three victims: two retirees and a recently widowed woman who was raising her 10-year-old grandson on her own. He promised each of them compounded interest plus return of their principal — but, per the indictment, none of them got either back. Prosecutors allege D'Antoni instead spent the money on travel, hotels, restaurants, life insurance, credit card payments, and luxury goods.
How the Scheme Allegedly Unfolded
Court documents describe how D'Antoni built relationships with his victims well before pitching the investment. The first victim, a man, was connected to D'Antoni through an insurance company that hired him for construction oversight.
The second victim met D'Antoni in December 2023, after hiring him to oversee fire-damage construction at her family home. Between February and June 2024, she handed over $225,000 across five installments, lured by a promised 5 percent compounded return. She was raising her grandson alone at the time. The third victim met D'Antoni in Rome while on vacation; her husband had died just two months earlier. Between December 2024 and March 2025, she gave him $18,200 in two installments after he promised her 4 percent compounded interest.
Prosecutors Point to Pattern of Betrayed Trust
Bragg said D'Antoni allegedly exploited his victims after gaining their trust, and he urged New Yorkers to use trusted institutions and licensed brokers when making investments rather than relying on personal acquaintances. The case is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Vimi Bhatia, deputy chief of the Elder Abuse Unit, whose casework is supervised by Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey, deputy chief of the Special Victims Division. Executive Assistant District Attorney Justin McNabney, chief of the Special Victims Division, is supervising the case overall.
D'Antoni faces two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree under New York Penal Law § 155.40. He also faces one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree under Penal Law § 155.35 and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree under Penal Law § 190.65. The indictment includes both grand larceny and scheme-to-defraud charges.
The D'Antoni case lands amid a dramatic nationwide rise in fraud targeting older adults. The Federal Trade Commission reported this month that overall fraud losses among adults 60 and older reached roughly $3 billion in 2025, a fivefold jump from $600 million in 2020. Federal officials note those figures likely understate the true toll, since fraud losses are widely underreported.
A separate FTC analysis found that while losses exceeding $100,000 made up just 6 percent of fraud reports from older adults in 2025, those high-dollar cases accounted for 70 percent of all money stolen from seniors, as Gizmodo reported.
Resources for Reporting Suspected Exploitation
The Manhattan DA's Office's Elder Abuse Unit can be reached at a helpline — 212-335-9007 — for residents 60 and older who suspect financial exploitation or abuse. All charges against D'Antoni remain allegations at this stage, and he has not been convicted of any crime.
