Insurance Agent Who Scammed Elderly Jumps Off 69th Street Pier
The insurance agent who admitted to ripping off seniors by selling them faux polices at his Dyker Heights office has tried to kill himself, reports the New York Post.
Paul Simoneschi, 70, of Staten Island, jumped off the 69th Street Pier Monday, but survived and is being treated at Lutheran Medical Center, police sources told the outlet. The extent of his injuries are not yet clear.
The con artist — who left some of his victims penniless — wound up pocketing $4.5 million in fake retirement plans and life savings from 21 clients. He allegedly developed long-term relationships with his victims and charmed some of his elderly clients by speaking to them in Italian, their native tongue.
In January, Simoneschi pleaded guilty to first-degree scheme to defraud, first-degree money laundering and second-degree grand larceny as a hate crime. He faces up to 12 years in prison and $4,477,562 in restitution for his victims.
