Photo: LadyM
Sept. 9, 2019 By Allie Griffin
A Long Island City-based gourmet bakery has accused a former deliveryman of stealing more than 1,000 cakes with a value of nearly $90,000.
Lady M Confections, located at 9-08 43rd Rd., filed suit against David Lliviganay, 32, in Queens County court Sept. 3 claiming that its deliveryman stole about 1,020 cakes between November 2018 and February 2019 worth $89,250.
The bakery, according to the complaint, first learned of the theft in December 2018 when it saw its designer cakes being resold by unauthorized sellers for cheaper prices than its own. Lady M cakes typically retail for between $50 and $90.
The bakery then checked its inventory and discovered that many of its cakes were missing. The company then conducted an investigation and saw Lliviganay on surveillance video carrying large bags out of its freezers several times in the middle of the night.
Photo: LadyM
The suit alleges Lliviganay did this more than 30 times throughout the four-month period, often sneaking into the factory around 2 a.m. and leaving with bags of suspected stolen cakes.
In January, he stole 357 cakes worth a total of $31,238, the suit alleges.
The bakery reported the alleged theft to police and terminated Lliviganay’s employment, according to the suit. Lliviganay had worked for the bakery for two years.
In July, Lliviganay pleaded guilty to petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
Lady M is now seeking monetary damages. It wants Lliviganay to compensate it for the stolen cakes, plus interest and litigation expenses. The bakery also wants to recoup the wages he was paid during the period of the alleged theft.
