Women stole $450,000 from their boss and tried to change his will, PA cops say

Two women are accused of stealing $450,000 from a doctor they worked for and spending it as part of their lavish lifestyle, Pennsylvania authorities say.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrests Wednesday, April 12, of 22-year-old Mikayla Zeigler and 25-year-old Danielle King, who are accused of stealing from their boss from October 2020 to August 2021.

They are charged with “theft by unlawful taking, conspiracy, dealing in unlawful proceeds, forgery, identity theft” and other related charges, prosecutors said.

The investigation began in September 2021, when Dr. Ramarao Naidu discovered “a large amount of money” had been stolen from bank and credit card accounts in his name, the district attorney said in a news release. Zeigler and King, who had access to the doctor’s financial accounts, had quit their jobs a month prior, according to details in the criminal complaint.

Detectives discovered $451,431.11 had been stolen from the doctor, District Attorney Deb Ryan said. The money, according to the prosecutors, was transferred to the personal bank accounts of Zeigler and King, as well as their PayPal and Apple Card accounts and car and student loan payment accounts.

“These women engaged in a cunning scheme to steal from their boss and spent it lavishly on themselves,” Ryan said. “They used the money to pay their rent, student loans, and credit card debt, as well as to purchase cars, cosmetics, tattoos, and vacations.”

More money was spent on health care, vet bills, hair care, cash advances, furniture and Amazon items, according to the district attorney.

As part of their scheme, Zeigler and King also attempted to change Naidu’s will. The women pretended to be Naidu when they sent an email to his attorneys, requesting his estate plan be changed, the complaint said.

“The request made was to adjust his estate plan which would reduce the amount given to his family upon his death but would provide Zeigler 85% control of the remaining portion of his estate,” prosecutors said. “The victim told investigators that the estate plan changes in the email were not accurate, and Zeigler was not listed as a beneficiary.”

Additionally, Zeigler and King tried selling more than $1 million in real estate property owned by Naidu, according to the complaint. They allegedly contacted a real estate agent to sell two lots he owned.

“The properties were listed for a total of 29 days, with one lot listed for sale at $535,000 and the second lot listed for sale at $500,000,” Ryan said. “The properties were removed from the listings shortly after the realtor received a call from the victim’s family.”

Zeigler, of West Chester, and King, of Chadds Ford, were arrested and their bail was set at $100,000. They are due in court in June, officials said.

Chester County is about 45 miles west of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 6:53 AM with the headline "Women stole $450,000 from their boss and tried to change his will, PA cops say."