Veronica Cerna: Cleaner, 44, pawned gold jewellery owned by elderly retirement village residents

A trusted cleaner at a Sydney retirement village has been convicted of “disgraceful” offences after pawning cherished jewellery belonging to its elderly residents.

A female cleaner, who had a master key to apartments, has been convicted of pawning gold jewellery with great sentimental value, belonging to elderly residents at the Pittwater Palms retirement village at Avalon Beach. File picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

A cleaner at a northern beaches’ retirement village has been convicted of pawning cherished high-end gold jewellery belonging to its elderly residents.

Veronica Cerna, 44, took 20 pieces of the jewellery to pawn shops, including gold and jewel-encrusted necklaces and bracelets owned by women living at Pittwater Palms in Avalon Beach.

Cerna, of North Strathfield, pawned one piece — a 10-carat gold and sapphire pendant valued at $50,000 — at a shop in Marrickville for just $400.

The cleaner, who started work at the village in November 2022, received just $500 for another gold and sapphire pendant, worth $30,000, from the same pawnbroker.

Manly Local Court heard that the pawned jewellery, with a total value of close to $120,000, belonged to women, aged up to 94, living in units and serviced apartments cleaned by Cerna who had a “master key” to the homes.

Veronica Cerna outside Manly Local Court. Picture: Manly Daily

The cleaner received a total of $6510 for the 20 pawned items.

Eight residents reported jewellery, which police noted had “great sentimental value”, going missing from their rooms, from November 2023.

Other items included a $20,000 four-carat gold ring pawned for $1500, $5000 gold necklace with pearl inlay pawned for $75 and $2000 gold pendant pawned for $75.

Cerna visited the pawn shops at Marrickville, Ashfield, Merrylands and Blacktown, between December 2023 and June 2024.

Veronica Cerna, 44, a cleaner of North Strathfield, received $6510 after pawning 20 pieces of jewellery, to the total value of $100,000, which belonged to elderly residents of a retirement village at Avalon Beach. Picture: Manly Daily

Magistrate Daniel Reiss heard that Cerna told pawnbrokers that she owned the jewellery.

Cerna pleaded guilty to 20 counts of furnishing statement which is false or misleading information and one count of dealing with the property proceeds of crime.

“On each (visit to a pawn shop) the accused signed the contract stating that she was the owner of the goods, and received a cash payment,” according to a police facts sheet tendered to court.

“The victims … are elderly and vulnerable and many of the items … pawned are of great sentimental value to the victim and their family.”

Mr Reiss heard that several items had been recovered, but a number had been sold by the pawn shops or “melted down”.

The Pittwater Palms retirement village at Avalon Beach. Cleaner Veronica Cerna had a “master key” to gain access to units. Picture: Supplied

Cerna’s Legal Aid solicitor told the court that her client pawned the jewellery to pay overdue rent and household utility bills.

“She panicked in the circumstances and couldn’t see a way out,” the solicitor said.

Magistrate Reiss said Cerna’s “disgraceful” and “brazen” offending breached the trust of the residents and the company she worked for.

“Vulnerable people should be safe in their retirement village,” he said.

Cerna received a $200 fine for each of the 20 false statement offences.

She was jailed for seven months for the charges of count of deal with the property proceeds of crime, but will serve the sentence in the community under strict supervision.

Cerna must also complete 50 hours of community service.