A sobbing lottery addict convicted of stealing $2.3 million from her employer to fund her habit screamed at the judge that prison won't cure her.
"Tell me how you're helping me!" Annie Donnelly of Farmingville yelled at state Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle during her sentencing Tuesday.
Donnelly pleaded guilty last month to second-degree grand larceny in exchange for the sentence of four to 12 years in prison.
The former bookkeeper for a doctors' office admitted she stole the money. Prosecutors said she spent as much as $6,000 a day playing Lotto and scratch-off games.
"So put me upstate. But you know what? When I come out, I'm still going to have a problem," Donnelly shouted at Doyle. She continued her courtroom tirade for several minutes, threatening to kill herself if she was sent to prison — even as her mother begged "Please stop it."
The Suffolk County sheriff's department said the defendant had been placed on suicide watch at the Riverhead jail.
Prosecutors said that between June 2002 and November 2005, the former bookkeeper wrote company checks for cash, petty cash, or checks payable to herself and then falsely listed them as payments to vendors associated with the Great South Bay Surgical Associates in Babylon.
The average check was for less than $3,000 and Donnelly wrote them in oddly numbered amounts instead of round numbers to avoid being caught, prosecutors said. She also would "move money around" within the business ledgers.
The theft was discovered when a bank called one of the physicians to say his checks were bouncing. In the first year Donnelly stole $41,261 from the office. Each year, the thefts increased, with Donnelly stealing $1,381,927 in 2005.
Investigators believe Donnelly may have won some jackpots of $5,000 or even $25,000, but it was never enough to cover the amount she had stolen overall.
Donnelly told the judge Wednesday she knew what she did was wrong and that she had seen a psychiatrist.
"Give me four to 12, give me 25" years in prison, she said. "It's not going to do anything."
I believe that being in jail for several years will help her. She won't be playing the lottory; she won't be gambling. So when she gets out, her grambling addiction should be gone. If she returns to her habit, then nothing on this earth can help her.
I also think they should add a couple of years for contempt of court. Then add a few months for being so stupid as to think she would never be caught.
She was just a common greedy thief and they should put her in jail. Maybe while she is in there, she will get some type of help. The poor doctor will definitely learn to keep his own books or at least have a seperate audit done once every three months.
wow, people never cease to amaze. She steals and now demands to be given a clean break because "prison will not help me." she might be correct on that but what about the rest of us who earn less than $30, 000 a year breaking our backs and never steal a dime, what about us?
She is upset because only now is she beginning to realise there are consequences for her actions. Her spending the money on lottery tickets isn't even relevant unless it won money for any recovery of assets.
Now that it's been proven where the money went, the Doctors should ask the state for their money back. I'm sure the state doesn't want to be the receiver of stolen money. BobP
I seen a story like this back long ago where a women was stealing her bosses bag lunch and trading it at a local store to the clerk for some scratch offs. He caught her when the clerk called her and complained about the bologna smelled spoiled. Always make sure your meat smells good before you give it to someone. mudhole
Quote: Originally posted by BazookaJoe on Sep 28, 2006
I seen a story like this back long ago where a women was stealing her bosses bag lunch and trading it at a local store to the clerk for some scratch offs. He caught her when the clerk called her and complained about the bologna smelled spoiled. Always make sure your meat smells good before you give it to someone. mudhole
Prison will help! She just needs a new perspective such as the fact that she'll be refraining from her addiction to steal . She'll learn to share and she'll learn a new way of life. Change is good and she is about to learn the hard way just how much changing she'll need to do for her crime.
I am 100% for rehabilitating those who despareltey need a second chance in life to right their wrongs, but she truly doesnt carry that demeanor. She is one person to whom I can say prison is just where she belongs. I sorta wish she had done time with dear old martha stewart. They would have been a hoot as cell mates!
Now that it's been proven where the money went, the Doctors should ask the state for their money back. I'm sure the state doesn't want to be the receiver of stolen money. BobP
Interesting comment, BobP. If a person or business receives stolen money without any knowledge of the theft are they obligated in any way to pay it back to the rightful owner?
Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Sep 28, 2006
Interesting comment, BobP. If a person or business receives stolen money without any knowledge of the theft are they obligated in any way to pay it back to the rightful owner?
The only thing Ive seen business's obligated to do is- raise prices,refuse paying fines,and make sure that they line their pockets with profits . They will gladly withdraw your taxes imposed each pay and roll it into an interest bearing account for4 months and then pay the piper (Uncle sam).
So in a quirky way- the very business you work for, steals your tax money to put into an account to bear interest and we call that---free enterprise! and no-they dont give it back...and oddly enough...because its legal ....we cant call it stealing ( yet I consider it such...).
But then again, I consider paying for meals to an inmate who has no regard for the laws a waste of my tax money...but what do i know....
Now that it's been proven where the money went, the Doctors should ask the state for their money back. I'm sure the state doesn't want to be the receiver of stolen money. BobP
I agree.. the Doctor should get his money back from the state..
Remember how one jackpot was questioned because the winner had bought the ticket with a stolen credit card..
No doubt that she demonstrated bad behavior and should be punished. But her activity also showed just how bad the odds are stacked against the average player. To gamble away literally millions with nothing to show for it should give people a good perspective that the lottery should be played for fun only and not seen as a viable retirement plan.
The reason that she didn't have much winnings vs. losses is because she played too many numbers per drawing. Only one number is going to win. Anytime I won anything whether the Pick-5 or the Daily numbers games I usually had 3 or less numbers (my "primaries") and I rarely play the scratch-offs because there is no known way to "systemize" them. It's more fun and less of an "addiction" if you can focus on a few numbers that look ready and less time-consuming.
I'm curious to know the details of what exactly she played i.e. every number times 10??? How did she have time if it was scratch-offs to scratch all of them? I've found winning tickets discarded by people who bought 20 of them and were in such a hurry they missed a $10 win or forgot to scratch the "instant bonus" box. I wonder how many of her discards were worth something! And how did she have time to stand on line that long + the poor people behind her?
Aww quit picking on our President (or the shrubbery?).. this ain't move-on-dot-org or something...
A sobbing lottery addict convicted of stealing $2.3 million from her employer to fund her habit screamed at the judge that prison won't cure her. 
The only "Help" will be for the Doctor. He will now have all the money that he earns stay in his account.
DD
I don't think she realizes that she's going to jail as a punishment not as a form of healing...
I believe that being in jail for several years will help her. She won't be playing the lottory; she won't be gambling. So when she gets out, her grambling addiction should be gone. If she returns to her habit, then nothing on this earth can help her.
I also think they should add a couple of years for contempt of court. Then add a few months for being so stupid as to think she would never be caught.
She was just a common greedy thief and they should put her in jail. Maybe while she is in there, she will get some type of help. The poor doctor will definitely learn to keep his own books or at least have a seperate audit done once every three months.
I need a job. I wonder if these doctors are looking for a new bookkeeper? LOL
(how did she get away with it for so long is my biggest question)
Yeah, but you'd have to move to Long Island.
wow, people never cease to amaze. She steals and now demands to be given a clean break because "prison will not help me." she might be correct on that but what about the rest of us who earn less than $30, 000 a year breaking our backs and never steal a dime, what about us?
She is upset because only now is she beginning to realise there are consequences for her actions. Her spending the money on lottery tickets isn't even relevant unless it won money for any recovery of assets.
I know his family will be happy and his bill collectors too.
Save our tax dollars.
Take her off of 'suicide watch'.
Now that it's been proven where the money went, the Doctors should ask the state for their money back. I'm sure the state doesn't want to be the receiver of stolen money. BobP
I seen a story like this back long ago where a women was stealing her bosses bag lunch and trading it at a local store to the clerk for some scratch offs. He caught her when the clerk called her and complained about the bologna smelled spoiled. Always make sure your meat smells good before you give it to someone. mudhole
Thanks for the laugh!!
Didn't she say prison won't help her? But , Bubbalicious her cellmate surely can.
Prison will help! She just needs a new perspective such as the fact that she'll be refraining from her addiction to steal . She'll learn to share and she'll learn a new way of life. Change is good and she is about to learn the hard way just how much changing she'll need to do for her crime.
I am 100% for rehabilitating those who despareltey need a second chance in life to right their wrongs, but she truly doesnt carry that demeanor. She is one person to whom I can say prison is just where she belongs. I sorta wish she had done time with dear old martha stewart. They would have been a hoot as cell mates!
Interesting comment, BobP. If a person or business receives stolen money without any knowledge of the theft are they obligated in any way to pay it back to the rightful owner?
The only thing Ive seen business's obligated to do is- raise prices,refuse paying fines,and make sure that they line their pockets with profits . They will gladly withdraw your taxes imposed each pay and roll it into an interest bearing account for4 months and then pay the piper (Uncle sam).
So in a quirky way- the very business you work for, steals your tax money to put into an account to bear interest and we call that---free enterprise! and no-they dont give it back...and oddly enough...because its legal ....we cant call it stealing ( yet I consider it such...).
But then again, I consider paying for meals to an inmate who has no regard for the laws a waste of my tax money...but what do i know....
I agree.. the Doctor should get his money back from the state..
Remember how one jackpot was questioned because the winner had bought the ticket with a stolen credit card..
Well what is the differences here?
No doubt that she demonstrated bad behavior and should be punished. But her activity also showed just how bad the odds are stacked against the average player. To gamble away literally millions with nothing to show for it should give people a good perspective that the lottery should be played for fun only and not seen as a viable retirement plan.
The reason that she didn't have much winnings vs. losses is because she played too many numbers per drawing. Only one number is going to win. Anytime I won anything whether the Pick-5 or the Daily numbers games I usually had 3 or less numbers (my "primaries") and I rarely play the scratch-offs because there is no known way to "systemize" them. It's more fun and less of an "addiction" if you can focus on a few numbers that look ready and less time-consuming.
I'm curious to know the details of what exactly she played i.e. every number times 10??? How did she have time if it was scratch-offs to scratch all of them? I've found winning tickets discarded by people who bought 20 of them and were in such a hurry they missed a $10 win or forgot to scratch the "instant bonus" box. I wonder how many of her discards were worth something! And how did she have time to stand on line that long + the poor people behind her?
Aww quit picking on our President (or the shrubbery?).. this ain't move-on-dot-org or something...