Harrison Theft Case: Woman Who Admitted Stealing $132,798 From Employers Had Similar Arrest in 2016

HARRISON, NY (October 29, 2026) — A New Jersey woman who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $132,000 from two Westchester County businesses had been arrested a decade earlier for allegedly stealing from another employer, raising questions about how she was hired and given access to company finances despite a publicly reported theft allegation.

Michelle Pennant, 48, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty June 17 to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud, all class E felonies, according to Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace.

The district attorney’s June 25 announcement made no mention of an earlier criminal case involving Pennant in New Jersey, where she was accused of stealing more than $10,000 from a company that employed her for more than two years.

According to a January 19, 2016, report by RLS Media, Pennant, then 38 and living in Newark, was arrested by Kenilworth police following an investigation into unauthorized payroll checks.

Police alleged that Pennant accessed her employer’s payroll accounts and cashed or deposited checks made payable to herself without authorization. She was charged with third-degree theft by deception and released pending a January 27 appearance in Union County Superior Court.

The outcome of that case could not be established. The 2016 arrest and criminal charge do not establish that Pennant was convicted.

More than six years later, Pennant began stealing money from two Westchester businesses, according to the district attorney.

Between April 2022 and April 2024, Pennant stole $62,548.08 from a home decorating business. Between March 2023 and April 2024, she stole another $70,250.46 from a construction company, bringing the combined total to $132,798.54.

Pennant also failed to pay the required New York state taxes on the unreported income obtained through the thefts, according to prosecutors.

The district attorney did not identify either business or explain Pennant’s responsibilities, how she obtained access to company funds or how the thefts were discovered.

The earlier New Jersey arrest raises questions about whether either Westchester employer conducted a background check or searched publicly available information before hiring Pennant.

The 2016 arrest was reported online more than six years before the Westchester thefts began. It remains unknown whether either employer was aware of the earlier allegations or whether the charge would have appeared in a criminal background check.

“Westchester County is a vibrant place to do business, except if you are a fraudster or thief,” Cacace said in announcing the guilty pleas. “When people steal from our local businesses, that raises their operating costs, which get passed along to the rest of us bit by bit.”

The Westchester investigation involved the Harrison Police Department, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, investigators from the district attorney’s office and forensic accountant Michael Frenza. Economic Crimes Bureau Chief Gwen Galef prosecuted the case.

Pennant was scheduled for sentencing October 28 before Westchester County Court Judge Erin McGoey. The outcome of that proceeding has not been confirmed.

The similarities between the 2016 allegations and the Westchester thefts leave two important questions unanswered: What happened to the earlier New Jersey criminal case, and what, if anything, did Pennant’s subsequent employers know about it?

This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.

Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.