MINEOLOA, N.Y. (AP) — A Brooklyn couple has admitted to collecting thousands of dollars in a funeral charity scam.
Thirty-year-old Vincent Fina and 31-year-old Brittney Schmidt both pleaded guilty on Long Island Thursday to scheme to defraud.
The judge says he’ll sentence them on Nov. 5 to five years’ probation, 60 hours of community service and any required treatment programs.
The couple was arrested in March for fabricating stories about needing money to pay for a child’s funeral or cancer treatment. Police say they brought their 11-year-old son with them as they solicited donations from businesses on Long Island and Queens.
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Fina’s lawyer told the judge his client was getting drug treatment. He said the married couple was using drugs and “were desperate.
Newsday (https://nwsdy.li/2yvXUhc ) reports that Schmidt’s Legal Aid lawyer declined to comment.
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Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com