In the following press release Thomas J. Spota, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced that a Suffolk County grand jury has indicted an Islip Terrace woman for allegedly stealing escrow funds, mortgage settlement money and for writing a bad check to purchase business software. Christina Cidoni, 43, of 94 Oceanside Street, pleaded not guilty in Suffolk County court to two counts of grand larceny second degree and three counts of third degree grand larceny. 

At residential real estate closings in Suffolk County in 2003, Cidoni, as a title insurance company representative, deposited over $491,000 earmarked to pay off existing mortgages into her own business account.  The defendant told detectives she used the money to fund the operations of her business, Spectrum Settlement Group.

Cidoni’s employer at the time, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company of New York, eventually paid off both mortgages to settle the accounts. Cidoni’s two escrow fund thefts in 2004 involved stealing $10,000 in connection with the sale of property in Mastic Beach, and the theft of $5,000 associated with the sale of property in Dix Hills.

The indictment also charged Cidoni purchased proprietary title insurance computer software from a Saugerties, New York man and paid for the product by writing a worthless check for $11,310. Judge Martin Efman set cash bail for Cidoni at $15,000, or $30,000 bond.