NYU Staffer Scammed School For $400K With Fake Booze Receipts

Investigators claim that an administrator for New York University's chemistry department heisted $409,000 from the school through a phony invoice scam. John Runowicz, 47, is accused of "scavenging" through the trash outside of Warehouse Wines on Broadway — just one block from his office — and fishing out liquor receipts that he would use to request petty cash reimbursements from NYU for chemistry department expenditures.

Prosecutors allege that over a six-year period, Runowicz defrauded the school with 13,000 receipts from the trash, according to NBC, augmenting his $50,000 annual salary with about $200 per day. He would send interns to NYU's bursar's office — where staffers didn't notice that his receipts had the words "Warehouse Wines" on top until the school conducted a routine audit, according to the Post.

The East Village resident, who is a member of the Doo-Wop band called "The Cadillacs," is scheduled to be arraigned today on second-degree grand larceny charges that could put him behind bars for 15 years, according to the tabloid. "Nobody looked to see that the receipts came from a liquor store," said DA Robert Morgenthau.

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By Ben Muessig in News on December 23, 2009 5:32 PM

Comments [rss]

angry_pickle

staffers didn't notice that his receipts had the words "Warehouse Wines" on top

Seems to me (1) they didn't care or (2) they themselves are also taking part in other scams and therefore didn't want to attract attention by blowing the whistle on someone else.

NannyState

If the one thing this guy knew NYU would overlook was booze receipts, what exactly does that say about the culture there? And can I enroll in time to "provide" the mixers?

MrManhattan

NYU reimburses booze receipts??? If I had known that back in the '80's I wouldn't have needed those Student loans!

Jen S

I can't get a $19 reimbursement at my job without an inquisition.

flyBK

can't feel bad for a school that charges 19K a semester

felldownthewell

I wish this was the only way the administration managed to throw away money.

Typical logic:

"Lets buy three 42in touch screen plasma TVs for a single barely used video editing lab but cancel free printing for the entire school so we can save $200,000 a year."

WAY TO GO NYU.