Three face charges in bilking Emmaus woman of $260,000

Three face charges in bilking Emmaus woman of $260,000


The 90-year-old died before she faced eviction from her home.

By Manuel Gamiz Jr., Of The Morning Call
11:45 PM EST, December 19, 2011

When she got the letter in the mail the summer of 2008, 90-year-old Queen E. Hersh of Emmaus did not understand what it meant, so she went to her neighbors.

Hersh handed the bank letter to her neighbors, who asked their son-in-law for help. Louis Ciocco, the son-in-law, told Hersh she might lose her home of more than 50 years.

"I think we have a problem here," Ciocco testified he told Hersh after reading the foreclosure notice.

The first day of testimony at a preliminary hearing for the three people accused of stealing almost everything from Hersh, including her longtime home in Emmaus and a vacation home in the Poconos, focused on Penelope Veronikis, who authorities say masterminded the alleged thefts.

Hersh would die months after learning she had been taken for more than $260,000, authorities say, adding that the "despair and devastation" she felt may have contributed to her deteriorating health and, possibly, her death.

Authorities said two days after Hersh's sister died in June 2006, Veronikis, 49, of Hanover Township, Northampton County, allegedly persuaded Hersh to sign over power of attorney so Veronikis could help manage the elderly woman's finances.

The lawyer who prepared the paperwork testified Monday that Veronikis approached her about preparing the power of attorney for a "lady who needed help paying her bills"

Ewalde Cook, an attorney from Bethlehem, said Hersh, who was 88 at the time, appeared to know what she was doing. "There is no doubt in my mind, she understood," she testified.

Months later, in December 2006, Veronikis sold Hersh's vacation home in the Poconos for $170,000 without Hersh knowing, authorities said. With the money, Veronikis reportedly got a tummy tuck and a breast lift and her then-boyfriend bought a 1974 muscle car from Veronikis' brother.

Veronikis would later change Hersh's will to make herself the sole beneficiary, refinance Hersh's Emmaus home to obtain a $50,000 loan and open and max out two credit cards in Hersh's name, authorities said.

Veronikis' then-boyfriend, Hristos "Chris" Dimou, 49, owner of the Emmaus Diner, and her daughter, Barbara Paxos, 26, are also charged.

Veronikis was introduced to Hersh by Dimou, police said. Two days after Hersh's sister died, Dimou approached Hersh and told her that he promised her sister he would look after her, police said.

Hersh's sister, Ella Crawford, had worked as a hostess and supervisor at the Emmaus Diner before she died unexpectedly in June 2006. Crawford had lived with Hersh at 627 E. Greenleaf St. and was her sister's caregiver.

Because of the number of witnesses and financial paperwork involved in the case, the hearing is expected to last at least two days. A Lehigh County grand jury listened to two dozen people and viewed 90 pieces of evidence before recommending charges.

Veronikis and Paxos, both of 1246 Granite Drive, Hanover Township, and Dimou, of 3744 Church View Road, Upper Milford Township, are charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, reckless endangerment, criminal conspiracy, theft, theft by deception, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and receiving stolen property.

Veronikis and Dimou are also charged with reckless endangerment.

Before she died, Hersh told her lawyer she never gave Veronikis permission to sell or refinance her homes and she never lent Veronikis any money.

Hersh's will was later destroyed and Emmaus police were contacted. She suffered a stroke the day she was to write a new will and died weeks later, according to testimony Monday.

She was never evicted from her home because she died before anything could happen.

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