Chelsea Gelato Shop Owner Sentenced To Prison

CHELSEA, NY — A Brooklyn woman who admitted to stealing nearly $3 million from her elderly employer to finance her own gelato shop has been sentenced to serve at least three years in state prison, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Selvaggia Pizzetti was handed down a 3- to 9-year prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the millions of dollars she stole from her 95-year-old boss, the Manhattan district attorney's office said on Wednesday. Pizzetti, 44, is also liable to repay about $3.2 million in the stolen money, taxes, penalties and interest.

Pizzetti worked as an assistant to the 95-year-old man at various businesses he operated in Manhattan and was responsible for the businesses' finances, according to a statement from prosecutors. In that role, prosecutors say she stole more than $2.8 million from her boss's personal and business accounts, starting in 2010 by using his money to pay off her credit card bills. Pizzetti later progressed to transferring his money directly into her own accounts in 2013, money she used to launch the Chelsea sweet shop "Crave. It," which opened at 545 6th Ave. and sold gelato and pastries. The district attorney's office said she spent more than $1.1 million of her employer's money on the Chelsea eatery.

Pizzetti was fired in 2016 after her boss noticed the discrepancies, and he later reported the thefts to prosecutors.

"Over the course of six years, Selvaggia Pizzetti stole nearly $3 million from her elderly employer in part to finance a personal business which ultimately failed," district attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement. "Her theft only stopped when it was discovered by the victim and she was terminated."

Pizzetti pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the first degree and criminal tax fraud in the second and third degree in February.

Lead image courtesy of Alex Gorzen on Flickr.