Canadensis home part of evidence in theft case

By MCT Information Services

Auhtorities say a Northampton County woman masterminded the theft of $260,000 from an elderly woman, which included selling her home in Canadensis without her knowledge.

Penelope Veronikis, 49, of Hanover Township, spent about $10,300 of that money for breast enhancement and a tummy tuck, and other personal expenses, after persuading 90-year-old Queen E. Hersh to grant her power of attorney to manage the elderly Emmaus woman's finances, detective Jason Apgar of Emmaus testified.

Following more than four hours of testimony during the second day of a preliminary hearing for Veronikis, her daughter Barbara Paxos, 26, and Emmaus Diner owner Hristos "Chris" Dimou, 49, District Judge Donna Butler said the hearing would resume sometime in January when additional witnesses will be called to testify.

A Lehigh County grand jury previously listened to two dozen people and viewed 90 pieces of evidence before recommending charges.

Investigators say Hersh learned months before her June 2006 death that she was bilked out of practically everything she owned. They say Veronikis sold Hersh's vacation home in Canadensis for $170,000 without Hersh knowing about it. 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, investigators said.

Authorities say $135,000 from the sale of the Poconos home were deposited by Veronikis into a bank account registered to her daughter Paxos. Investigators also allege that Veronikis cashed Hersh's monthly Social Security checks.

Veronikis, Dimou of Upper Milford Township, and Paxos of Hanover 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.

Defense attorneys tried to poke holes in Apgar's testimony, indicating that anyone could have made debit card purchases that were detailed at the hearing.

According to a grand jury presentment:

Hersh previously was cared for by her sister, Ella H. Crawford, with whom she lived. Both women were widowed and childless and Crawford worked as a hostess and supervisor at Dimou's Emmaus Diner.

Two days after Crawford died in 2006, Dimou told Hersh that he promised Crawford he would look after her. Shortly thereafter, Veronikis, Dimou's girlfriend at the time, took Hersh to an attorney and had her sign paperwork granting Veronikis full power of attorney.

In August 2008, Hersh received a notice that her Emmaus home was being foreclosed because she didn't make payment on the $50,000 equity loan. That's when Hersh went to a neighbor who consulted with an attorney who discovered that Veronikis took out the loan, authorities say.