CAMBRIA HEIGHTS — A lawyer who was responsible for overseeing the estate of an elderly woman has been charged with stealing from the proceeds of a real estate transaction, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced Tuesday.
According to a statement from the DA’s office, Yves-Merry Telemaque, of 116-52 218th St., was appointed as the guardian of Cleo Veal in 2007. In 2008, Telemaque, 49, was given permission to sell property owned by Veal and to deposit the proceeds, amounting to $311,597 into a bank account, the DA said.
According to Brown, Veal died soon afterward at the age of 92. After the sale of the property, Telemaque deposited the money into the pre-selected account, but then allegedly withdrew more than $50,000 without authority or permission, the DA said.
“The defendant was appointed by the court to look out for the financial affairs of a person incapable of doing so for herself,” Brown said. “It is unacceptable that she then allegedly took the deceased’s money for her own use.”
Telemaque was charged with grand larceny and if convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison, the DA said.
