A New Jersey woman on Tuesday was arraigned on an indictment that charged her with stealing more than $700,000 from the shareholders of a 40-unit Brooklyn Heights cooperative building where she served as board president.
Isabelle Gallier, 60, of Keansburg, N.J., is charged with second-degree grand larceny, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Between January 1, 2018 and February 29, 2024, Gallier allegedly used her position as board president of the co-op at 130 Hicks St. to steal $708,216.61 in funds intended for the operation of the building. She allegedly used $218,351.36 to pay her personal mortgages and $125,754.82 on luxury goods, including $12,489.50 on furs, $4,028.38 on a Rolex watch and $53,022.55 on 150 pairs of designer shoes, including 28 pairs of Christian Louboutins and 16 pairs of Valentinos, according to prosecutors.
After the defendant was voted out as board president and a new board took over, the building’s financial records were turned over, revealing the alleged theft. Gallier subsequently sold her three units in the building and moved out, Gonzalez said.
"This defendant allegedly turned a position of trust into a six-year scheme to steal from her neighbors, spending more than seven hundred thousand dollars meant to maintain a cooperative on luxury items and personal bills," Gonzalez said in a statement. "Board members are entrusted with the financial security of their communities, and we will prosecute anyone who exploits their authority to criminally enrich themselves.”
Gallier was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Aug. 12.
