The former Hempstead co-op board president pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $30,000 in co-op funds, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday.

Juan Alayo, 72, of East Meadow, pleaded guilty Thursday to grand larceny, a felony and petit larceny after he was caught embezzling more than $26,738 by writing checks to himself and his cleaning company and falsifying cooperative business records. To hide their theft, according to a news release from James’ office.

Prosecutors said residents of the Hendrickson Avenue building alerted authorities when they reviewed co-op records after Alayo moved out.

“Juan Alayo’s neighbors elected him to inspect their buildings, and Mr. Alayo violated their trust to line his own pockets,” James said in a statement.

Alayo’s attorney, Garden City-based Jack Posner, declined to comment. Alayo could not be reached Friday.

Under the terms of the guilty plea, Alayo will pay restitution to the cooperative and complete 210 hours of community service or face a year in prison, prosecutors said.

Alayo was elected by his neighbors to lead the board of Marlboro Owners Corp. from 2016 to 2023.

Alayo’s position paid him $200 a month and required planning building maintenance and keeping cooperative business records. Prosecutors described a scheme discovered by the new board president after Alayo left the cooperative, in which Alayo wrote and cashed checks to his company, A&J Cleaning Services, in what appeared to be a legitimate collaboration. expenses.

For example, a $2,466.30 check he wrote to Tragar, a legitimate home heating oil company, was actually sent to A&J and cashed by him, prosecutors said.