A Central Islip woman accused of misrepresenting herself to municipal animal shelters across Long Island – including the Town of North Hempstead – to adopt dogs she later sold for a profit online pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a second-degree count of offering a false instrument, prosecutors said.
Lisette Tobon, 23, faces two years probation after prosecutors said she purchased an eight-year-old Pekinese from the Town of North Hempstead’s animal shelter in Port Washington in November 2013 and later sold the dog for $200 on the online classifieds site Craigslist.
Tobon, who pleaded before Judge Erica Prager in Nassau County District Court, had listed in her agreement with the animal shelter a false telephone number and address for a Rocky Point residence that prosecutors said she had not lived at for months.
Upon her arrest in March, Tobon was initially charged with a felony count of offering a false instrument for filing and a misdemeanor charge of scheme to fraud, prosecutors said.
“Animal shelters are a taxpayer-funded service established to safeguard the animals under their care, and not a free pet store for people to make a profit,” Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said after Tobon’s arrest. “These animals deserve to be adopted by people who will love and take care of them – not exploit them to make an easy buck.”
Prosecutors said Tobon’s contract with North Hempstead prohibited her from giving away, selling or disposing the dog without the consent of the shelter. Tobon also agreed to allow the shelter to make a personal visit to her home to follow up on the adoption.
Tobon took custody of the dog on Nov. 19, 2013 and days later agreed to sell the dog to a woman who contacted her through Craigslist, prosecutors said. Tobon allegedly exchanged text messages with the woman saying the dog was three years old and she could no longer take care of it.
Tobon allegedly contacted the shelter again in December to adopt a Husky, telling employees she wanted to adopt the dog as a playmate for the Pekinese.
But when Tobon went to the shelter to see the dog, prosecutors said, she was confronted about the Craigslist sale and left without the animal.
Prosecutors said staff members from the North Hempstead shelter contacted the district attorney’s office about the sale and an investigation began to determine whether Tobon tried to adopt animals from other shelters.
Tobon was denied by the Town of Babylon’s Municipal Shelter in February after attempting to adopt another animal using the same fake address and telephone number, prosecutors said.
Reach reporter Bill San Antonio by e-mail at bsanantonio@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516.307.1045 x215 or on Twitter @b_sanantonio. Also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
