FraudBaron.com

Ellen Hauer used the money she stole from Hampton Management Co. to lease four luxury automobiles, pay for pricey dinners, Las Vegas trips and Caribbean cruises and buy jewelry, furs and Victoria's Secret lingerie, prosecutors said.

Hauer, a Hampton employee for 30 years, became comptroller in 1997 and began stealing immediately,  District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Wednesday. The charges include thefts only back to 2001 because of the statute of limitations, he said.

Hauer, 52, got credit cards for herself, her husband and two adult children and paid their bills from accounts belonging to two upscale rental apartment complexes managed by Hampton, Century Tower in Riverdale and Lenox Terrace in Harlem, Morgenthau said.

Century Tower is the home of comedian Tracey Morgan, and Lenox Terrace is where Paterson and Rangel live, prosecutors said.

Morgenthau said Hauer, of the Bronx, was authorized to sign company checks for up to $10,000 for proper business purposes.

He said she made $110,000 a year but used money from her own bank account just once since 2001 to pay a credit card bill. He said she charged most large purchases and paid for them with the company's money.

Hampton manager Bruce Simon issued a statement saying his company uncovered the thefts during a yearly audit review and then started an internal investigation and contacted the district attorney's office.

Hauer was arrested at her job Tuesday and was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court. She was released without bail and ordered to return to court July 15.

Her Legal Aid Society lawyer, Lawrence Siry, did not immediately return a telephone call for comment Wednesday.

Morgenthau said Hauer appears to have stolen at least $1.169 million and his investigation is continuing.