Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 34-year-old Ashley Knopf of Leon, N.Y. was sentenced on Thursday morning before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to a determinate sentence of 4 months in jail followed by 5 years of probation.

The defendant admitted that she befriended a 62-year-old man to commit the larceny. The defendant convinced the victim that she needed money to pay her medical bills while receiving treatment at an out-of-state facility. Between December of 2018 and February of 2020, the defendant stole a total of $177,488.00 from the victim. The evidence showed that the defendant was in Western New York while committing the crime.

Knopf pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (Class “C” felony) on December 22, 2020. This was the highest charge she could have been convicted of at trial.

As part of her sentence, Justice Wojtaszek ordered the defendant to make full restitution to the victim. The defendant signed a Confession of Judgement to pay $177,488.00.

DA Flynn commends DA Confidential Criminal Investigators Natalie Perez and Phil Torre for their work in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gary M. Ertel of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau.