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Lorraine Shanley’s husband was a New York City police officer who died in the line of duty, and in the years after his death, she became active in a charity that supports the families of other officers who died on the job. She eventually volunteered to be a treasurer for the charity, Survivors of the Shield, and was in charge of nearly $2 million in donations.

But prosecutors say a desire to help others was not her only motivation. They have accused Ms. Shanley of stealing about $410,000 over a seven-year period for her personal expenses, from dental work and landscaping to tickets to see Barbra Streisand in concert. She even pilfered the charity’s coffers to pay for her son’s criminal defense, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Ms. Shanley, 68, of Staten Island, was arrested on Thursday after she surrendered at the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office in Lower Manhattan, a stone’s throw from Police Headquarters. She was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and was released on a $100,000 bond after a brief appearance in Federal District Court.

She shook her head and declined to speak to reporters as she left the courtroom. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.