by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 27 – Back on January 25, 2023 Inner City Press reported that Peaches Stergo was charged with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings. Now on July 27 Peaches Stergo got 51 months (here and below); Inner City Press interviewed her lawyer Ann Fitz, video here.
Back on April 14, 2023, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Edgardo Ramos held a change of plea proceeding. Inner City Press went and covered it, thread here:
OK - now at Peaches Stergo's change of plea (to guilty) proceeding. Peaches is wearing glasses. Inner City Press is the only media here
Peaches Stergo is only pleading guilty to Count 1.
She like Inner City Press was here in the gallery for unrelated guilty plea of a short Spanish speaking man in a yellow prison jumpsuit. Peaches is 36 and says she never went to school. Judge: Home schooled? No
Peaches Stergo says that last night she had a cocktail with dinner. But is thinking straight, to plead guilty. Judge tells Peaches by pleading guilty she may not be able to run for public office.
Judge says that Peaches Stergo's plea agreement is 12 pages - longer than most. But what is the agreed stipulated guidelines range? It is often said out loud. But not this time.
They mention the bank involved - TD Bank - but not the sentencing guidelines the prosecutors agreed to.
Peaches Stergo named the victim -
The AUSA noted that, and started to ask that the transcript be sealed. Judge Ramos noted that a "member of the fourth estate" - Inner City Press - was present.
And at the sentencing on July 27, Inner City Press was again present, thread here:
Peaches Stergo asks judge to stop forfeiture of her house. Denied. Sentencing proceeds. Guideline is 51-63 months.
AUSA wants 96 months "in this sad, sad case. She was not Robin Hood. She made fake TD Bank documents." The victim "sold his collection of diamonds"
AUSA quotes Peaches Stergo, "I don't want to work. It's too hard." She took a $12,000 vacation to Greece while he sold his apartment. Her kind acts if any were only to defraud.
AUSA: There is an epidemic of romance scams. Defense: He didn't want to call her Peaches so he called her Alice. This is a run of the mill romance scam [cites cases. Defense makong no mention of the Holocaust - an error?]
Judge: I impose on Peaches Stergo a sentence of 51 months. The request for 96 was reasonable. Ms Stergo, your actions were unspeakably cruel. It was ordinary, pedestrian greed. You went to Vegas. You considered targeting a 65 year old but decided he was too young
Then video Q&A here.
More, including the plea agreement on Patreon here
July 27 extra on Substack here
The case is US v. Stergo, 23-cr-20 (Ramos)
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