Hawthorne Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $3.2 Million from New Jersey Couple

Charles Gallo admitted to using his role as a personal assistant to siphon millions over the course of a year through fraudulent financial transactions.

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A 34-year-old man from Hawthorne, Passaic County has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting he embezzled approximately $3.2 million from a New Jersey couple while employed as their personal assistant, federal prosecutors announced.

Charles Gallo entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court. The charge stems from a scheme carried out between March 2022 and March 2023, during which Gallo exploited his access to the victims’ financial information to withdraw funds, make unauthorized purchases, and open credit accounts in their name.

According to federal court documents, Gallo was initially hired in 2018 to manage the couple’s monthly bills and assist with banking, email, and other personal technology needs. Prosecutors said he leveraged this position of trust to routinely withdraw cash using the victims’ ATM card, write checks to himself from their accounts, and use their credit cards to purchase electronics, collectibles, and other personal items.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross financial loss. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with support from the Ridgewood and Hawthorne Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.