NORWALK, Ct. — It's the perfect crime: Skim money from school cafeterias.
But how much money could you really make doing it?
Connecticut prosecutors say two lunch ladies raked in nearly half a million dollars.
Sisters Marie Wilson and Joanne Pascarelli are charged with larceny and defrauding a public community.
They are accused of stealing close to $480,000 from school cafeteria registers from 2012-2017.
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Wilson worked at New Canaan High School, Pascarelli at Saxe Middle School.
"All they did was come to work every day, work hard and now the state has thrown a bunch of stuff against the wall hoping something sticks," said lawyer Darnell Crosland.
Pascarelli's attorney entered a not guilty plea on her behalf today.
Wilson's attorney, Mark Sherman, says he'll do the same at the next court hearing.
"At which point we'll begin analyzing the state's evidence, crafting a defense strategy, and moving forward with the case," said Sherman.
For years the missing money went unnoticed until a new register system was put in place leading to a months-long police investigation.
Court documents show several people who worked with the women told police they saw them remove large bills from registers in between lunch periods.
Wilson told police she gave money to her boss but personally never took a dollar.
"She's hanging in there. it's been tough but she's been comforted by strong support from her friends and family," said Sherman.
The arrest warrant also lists a large discrepancy in average daily deposits made at Saxe Middle School in the time before Pascarelli left compared to after.
In interviews with police, Pascarelli couldn't explain where the money went but said she'd never take it.
"They had computer systems in place that were supposed to monitor how the money flows and she had no control over the computer system, she had no control over the intake of the money. Again, it is something she totally denies," said Crosland.
The school board's insurance company has already reimbursed it for $500,000.
The two cafeteria workers are due back in court Monday.