Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe today announced that Michele Ellison A/K/A Michele Davidson (DOB 08/08/67) of 9 David Drive, New Hempstead, New York has been arrested and arraigned for stealing more than $10,000 from her employer.

Ellison is charged with:

• One count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony.

Between August, 2006 and April, 2008, Ellison stole more than $10,000 from the Rockland County Builders and Remodelers Association. The defendant was employed as an Executive Officer for the Association and wrote numerous business checks and made online payments for her personal expenses. Besides making some of the checks and payments payable to herself, other payments were made to Orange & Rockland Utilities, Continental Airlines, Costco, Best Buy and for private school tuition.

Ellison’s arrest resulted from an extensive investigation by the Rockland County Special Investigations Unit.

The defendant was arraigned today in the Town of Clarkstown Justice Court by the Honorable Craig Johns. Bail was set in the amount of $3,000. She is due to return to court on August 31st, 2009.

Ellison faces seven years in state prison.

Executive Assistant District Attorney Gary Lee Heavner will prosecute the case.