NEWS

Somerset County worker admits $136K theft from dead friend

Peggy Wright
@PeggyWrightDR

MORRISTOWN - In the 2013 obituary for Donna M. DiLullo of Gladstone, Dennis Lordi was listed among her survivors as a "dear friend."

On Tuesday, this "dear friend" pleaded guilty in Superior Court, Morristown, to accessing and stealing $135,517 from DiLullo's retirement/deferred compensation account, minutes after learning his 55-year-old co-worker in Superior Court, Somerset County, had died that morning, July 8, 2013.

Lordi, 60, of Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception before Superior Court Judge Thomas Critchley in Morristown. Though he was able to transfer DiLullo's retirement money into a Prudential retirement account of his own, the theft was discovered before he could use it, authorities said.

With hand raised, ex-Somerset County Superior Court worker Dennis Lordi pleaded guilty Feb. 23, 2016 to stealing $135,517 from a retirement account of a dead colleague.  At right is defense lawyer Nicholas Moschella Jr.

Under questioning by defense lawyer Nicholas Moschella Jr., Lordi admitted that he was in Somerville on July 8, 2013 when he received information that the colleague, Donna DiLullo, had an accident. He said he then accessed DiLullo's deferred compensation/retirement account held by Prudential, pretended to be DiLullo and transferred $135,517 into his own Prudential account.

The case is being prosecuted in Morris County by Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor William Guhl because of Lordi's now-terminated employment with the Superior Court system in Somerset. Authorities said that the money was transferred to Lordi's account but was frozen when the theft was realized and is being returned to DiLullo's estate.

At left, former Somerset County Superior Court worker Dennis Lordi at his plea on Feb. 23, 2016 to stealing $135,517 in retirement funds belonging to a dead colleague. At right is defense lawyer Nicholas Moschella.

Guhl has recommended that Lordi be sentenced on April 1 to a period of probation and a suspended, 364-day stint in the Morris County jail that he only would serve if he violates probation. As an administrative supervisor in the fee unit of the courts, Lordi had been paid about $90,000 annually.

Authorities previously have said that Lordi tried to steal a total of $566,117 in retirement and life insurance benefits from the judiciary colleague within minutes of learning of her death but he admitted only to the retirement fund theft.  Besides the Prudential account, he had been accused of accessing an online benefit account and making himself the primary beneficiary of the dead woman's insurance and pension benefits, which had a maximum benefit available of $430,600. He was never able to obtain that money.

DiLullo had worked for the Probation Division in Somerset County and died July 8, 2013. Court records state that Dilullo’s caretaker called 911 that morning and then contacted Lordi. Within minutes of learning about the death, Lordi -- using his work computer -- was accessing her financial accounts.

A court affidavit stated that Lordi on July 8, 2013 logged into the New Jersey Division of Pension and Benefits website at about 7:46 a.m. and attempted to enter his name as the primary beneficiary for the woman’s group life insurance and pension benefits. A few minutes later, he logged into the Prudential Insurance website and transferred the $135,517 into his account, according to court records.

DiLullo's obituary said she died suddenly at home at the age of 55.  She had worked as a probation officer in Somerset County for 29 years.  Her obituary listed surviving relatives, and several "dear friends," including Lordi.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.