MADISON - Police arrested a Madison man they said swindled an elderly woman of over a half-million dollars over a two-year period.
On Thursday, James J. Cicarella, 33, of Madison turned himself into police on a valid arrest warrant.
Cicarella was charged with first-degree larceny and posted $100,000 bail after his arraignment in a New Haven court.
Police said Cicarella’s arrest stems from an investigation in which he is accused of defrauding an elderly woman of $578,466 over 2013- 2014, facetiously claiming that he suffered from pre-leukemia. He developed a relationship with one of the victims, an acquaintance of his, and asked for help paying for medical bills.
Court documents reveal Cicarella, who worked for the woman's husband's company, opened up a joint checking account with the woman to cover medical expenses but instead used the money to buy a Cadillac Escalade, jewelry, furniture, and purchasing his current residence on Yankee Peddler Place in Madison with $350,000 cash.
A friend of the victims' spotted Cicarella on the a freeway when he was supposed to have been bed-ridden and alerted the elderly victim.
Madison Det. Sgt. Neal Mulhern says this should be a warning to others. "Try not to judge things on face value and do a little research. Talk to people. Don't just take people's word for what's going on," he said, adding that fraud, especially against the elderly, is a prevalent issue.
Cicarella is due back in court August 25th.
