OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Two granddaughters of the late owner of Malara’s Italian Restaurant face felony charges for allegedly stealing $300,000 from their grandmother’s trust.
Ashley Gomez faces two felony charges, each carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Prosecutors allege she used her grandmother’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases totaling $9,566 between January and July 2023. She is also accused of misleading her grandmother into issuing her a check for $150,000 on Jan. 17, 2023.
Malara’s Italian Restaurant(WOWT)
Alexandria Kuta faces one charge of theft by unlawful taking for allegedly misleading her grandmother into giving her a check for $150,000.
Restaurant owner’s family discovers missing money
Caterina Malara owned Malara’s Italian Restaurant, a South Omaha landmark that served the community for decades. She died in 2023.
Other family members filed charges when they discovered $300,000 missing from the Caterina Malara Trust after admitting Malara for long-term care.
“The family made a complaint that there were other family members who had taken advantage of the grandmother who was the original owner of that restaurant,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine. “We did see some things that were troubling regarding some checks that were written and some credit cards.”
Family meeting after death
According to the complaint, the family held a meeting after Malara’s death in 2023. The complaint states the two defendants tried to convince Caterina Malara to give them money only after they discovered they had been removed from the trust.
After the meeting, the two defendants agreed to give the money back, according to the complaint.
Malara’s restaurant has been closed for two years.
“Whenever you’re dealing with an inter-family dispute, there’s questions that arise later, so it’s an ongoing case,” Kleine said. “It’s a fairly sad situation to see this restaurant closed and the family kind of torn apart.”
Court proceedings
Gomez and Kuta need 10 percent of $50,000 to get out of jail. They have a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 25.
The complaint alleges Kuta and Gomez wrote themselves each a $150,000 check for a total loss of $300,000 using blank checks pre-signed by Malara Jan. 17, 2023. The family told prosecutors they found out about the checks after the grandmother passed.
Both women are scheduled for their first appearance in court Friday morning on charges of theft by unlawful taking greater than $5,000.
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