A 67-year-old employee of the Archdiocese of New York has been accused of stealing more than $1 million from the church. According to the Manhattan DA's office Anita Collins allegedly wrote herself more than 450 checks from the church, all under $2,500, over more than eight years. The worst part about the story? Collins has previously been busted for financial shenanigans. Twice. The church just wasn't doing criminal background checks when she was hired in 2003.
Woman Accused Of Stealing $1 Million From Archdiocese of New York
Ex-Citigroup VP Admits To Embezzling $22.9 Million
Earlier this summer federal prosecutors charged ex-Citigroup VP Gary Foster of embezzling millions from the bank into personal accounts and yesterday he plead guilty to one count of bank fraud. The legally blind banker now faces a maximum of ten years in the slammer for making off with $22.9 million between September 2003 and June 2011.
Sources: Bloomberg Ignored Warnings About CityTime
While we debate Hizzoner's white lies about the Goldsmith imbroglio, keep in mind there is a much pricier scandal that should make everyone thoroughly pissed. Back in June, Mayor Bloomberg finally admitted in a press conference that the $740 million CityTime disaster was in fact not a "pretty good job" as he'd previously stated, but a debacle that "nobody paid as much attention to it as they should have, from me on down, and we’re going to find out who did what." However, three sources tell the Post that at least one city official did pay attention, and warned Bloomberg's advisors that CityTime was a huge waste of money, and should have been scrapped.
No Jail Time For PTA "Fertility Thief" If She Repays $80K
A Cobble Hill mother and former PTA Treasurer who is accused of embezzling $82,000 from the organization will avoid jail time if she pays back the money, plus interest. Providence Hogan, who owns Providence Day Spa, allegedly used the money for fertility treatments, rent, and to "keep her family living in the lifestyle they were accustomed to." Her appearance in court today was accompanied by concerned parents from PS 29, including the PTA's co-treasurer, who told the Daily News that they "had serious budget cuts this year and the money is sorely needed." Forget the budget: PS 29 also had its playground incinerated and the Pledge of Allegiance nixed. If David Simon's looking for a (watchable) follow-up to The Wire he should look no farther than Cobble Hill.
CityTime Investigation Honing In On City's Head Of Payroll
Now that Bloomberg has politely asked for the city's $600 million back from the contractor involved in the CityTime fiasco (they said: maybe) and the government has seized $28.5 million in stolen funds from the defendants, US attorneys and the city's Department of Investigation are honing in on some of the city employees that made the scandal possible and oh so lucrative. "They want city officials," a source who's been questioned by authorities tells the Post, "They're brutal, the pressure they're putting on."
Ex-Citibank VP Accused Of Embezzling Likes Real Estate, Maseratis, Gold Leaf
Yesterday federal prosecutors announced they had arrested 35-year-old ex-Citigroup VP Gary Foster for embezzling $19.2 million from the bank into his personal accounts (at Chase, natch). And now we're getting to hear all the fun details about what Foster, who until January earned $100,000 annually as an assistant V.P. in the bank's treasury finance department, spent his stolen bucks on. Like that Maserati GranTurismo and BMW 550i he bought, and the chauffeur to drive him around in because he is legally blind.
Ex-Citigroup VP Arrested for Embezzling $19.2 Million
According to federal prosecutors, former Citigroup Vice President Gary Foster "used his knowledge of bank operations to commit the ultimate inside job." While at the bank Foster, 35, allegedly used his knowledge to embezzle $19.2 million into a personal bank account in a series of secret money transfers.
Operation Motherboy: Mother-Son Duo Accused Of Stealing $16 Million
A mother and son duo who are accused of stealing over $16 million from two SoHo textile companies pleaded not guilty on grand larceny and money laundering charges today. Prosecutors say that bookkeeper Judy Del Galdo embezzled the money from her employers at Hi-Fashion Fabrics, Inc. and Timeless Treasures Fabrics, Inc., in order to maintain a lavish lifestyle for her and her son Joseph, which included yachting, jetting, and cruising in a $127,000 Mercedes.
Waiter Stole $91K In Fake Tips From Todd English's Olives
There seems to be another story every week about waiters teaming up to reclaim their tips from penny-pinching bosses, so there is something refreshing about a waiter who turned the tables, instead allegedly pilfering $91,000 in fake tips from his employer, Todd English's Olives restaurant off Union Square. Investigators say that for the past two years 33-year-old waiter Mohammad Siraj would just add extra tip money onto his checks in the restaurant's computer.
DOE Official Eyed In Another Computer Contractor Scandal
For a technocrat with an inarguably successful business track record, Mike Bloomberg's administration sure keeps having problems with scheming computer contractors. On top of the epic $80 million CityTime scandal and the $3.6 million the DOE last week revealed it lost to a "housewife-next-door" loving computer contractor, a high-level DOE executive is now under investigation for "potential corruption and conflict of interest" regarding his relationship with a consulting firm that has a $43 million contract with the Department.
Brooklyn Spa Owner Allegedly Stole $100,000 From PTA For Fertility Treatments, Rent
One might reasonably assume that any parent who gets involved with the PTA is doing so for altruistic reasons, or because they want to ensure that their kid will get into that exclusive AP Biology class, or worst case scenario, because they really want to bang a 13-year-old. But then, you'd be ignoring the fact that the PTA is a really just a cash cow grazing idly, waiting to be milked by someone. And one Brooklyn Brownstone farm hand is accused of milking that cow for all she could.
Accountant Accused of Stealing From 30 Rock
Jack Donaghy would not be amused. Queens prosecutors say that former 30 Rock production accountant Matthew Rudolph stole $14,000 from the NBC comedy over the course of the last season. (Why Queens prosecutors? The show films at Silvercup.) According to DA Richard Brown, Rudolph forged two checks made out to himself and used his company credit card for personal use before being shown the door. You would think an accountant would be better at stealing. In the meantime, we wonder how long till there is an embezzling accountant on the staff of TGS...
Teen Toll Collector Stole $16k in Less Than a Year
Travis Coley, 19, thought he had it made. Last year the Bronx native got a gig working as a toll collector on the Throgs Neck Bridge and allegedly started swiping change almost immediately. As he put it in a confession: “I figured out this scheme from my training and my experience in the toll booth,” and “when I realized that I would not get caught doing it, I continued to do it for months.” Except he did get caught, and now he is facing up to seven years in prison for stealing roughly $16,000 in tolls.
City Suspends CityTime Big Shot, Seizes $800k in Cash
Fallout from Wednesday's revelations about just how bad the city's CityTime situation was—the $60 million project to streamline employee time keeping ballooned into a $722 million project, at least $80 million of which appears to have gone to crooked quality assurance contractors—has begun. Trying to make the most of a messy situation the city yesterday not only suspended an employee who should have stopped the debacle but also announced it had seized a big bag of cash from the crooks.
Cops Collect $4 Million of Columbia's Cash
Last month cops busted a Columbia employee, George Castro, after he allegedly siphoned $4+ million of the university's cash into a private bank account. Though Castro pled not guilty yesterday, that doesn't mean the police stopped looking for the missing loot. And they didn't have to look far. Less than two days after Castro's arrest the Manhattan DA's Cybercrime and Major Economic Crime bureaus say they had not only identified the banks where the crook was keeping his cash, but were able to seize and freeze a good $4 million of it. "We got to him quickly before the money could be dissipated," Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance told the Post.
CityTime Consultants Charged With Stealing $80 Million
Back in 2007, the city thought it could save $60 million by installing biometric scanners to keep track of employees' time (CityTime, they called it). But years later the city has spent $722 million extra because the project is, well, a huge mess of bloated salaries to consultants and overruns ("an endless money pit," Comptroller John Liu called it). And now an already embarrassing situation has gotten distinctly worse. Four consultants hired to run quality assurance have been accused of taking $80 million in "an elaborate fraud and kickback scheme" that involved faked time sheets (ha!) and a series of shell companies. According to the suit the suspected ringleader even got his mom and his wife in on the scheme!
Catholic Nun Charged With Embezzling From College
A very naughty nun must be dealing with some serious Catholic guilt today after she was charged with embezzling more than $1.2 million from a Westchester college. Sister Marie Thornton, 62, worked as vice president of finance at Iona College in New Rochelle, and is accused of stealing the money from the Catholic school over the last decade, by submitting false invoices and using a college-issued credit card for personal expenses.
Four Women Accused of Stealing $8 Million in Food Stamps
Another day, another depressing story about people stealing from the needy. A week after Marque Gumbs was busted for allegedly stealing millions in printer toner from a cancer hospital, comes the story of four women (three of whom are or had been city employees) accused of stealing $8 million in food stamps.
Sloan-Kettering Toner Thief Liked Women, Jewelry, Cars
The Post today adds a little color to the story of Marque Gumbs, the man who allegedly stole $4+ million from Memorial Sloan-Kettering in toner cartridges. According to a neighbor in the Trump Tower in New Rochelle "He kept to himself—'Hello' was the extent of our interaction...But he had a different woman with him every time—all attractive." And another "always wondered where he got his car, his jewelry and his women." As for Gumbs' defense, his lawyer says he is being scapegoated: "possibly, the hospital was embarrassed about this waste, and decided to throw my client under the bus." So how did he afford that BMW on a $37k salary again?
Guy Steals Millions in Printer Toner from Cancer Hospital
Another day, another case of employees embezzling cash from their employers. Though less absurd than the guy who took $3.4 million in a month from Columbia University, the story of Marque Gumbs, who is being accused of stealing many millions of dollars from the prestigious cancer hospital Memorial Sloan-Kettering, is a touch more upsetting since Gumbs was, well, esentially taking money from sick cancer patients.
How Not To Steal From Columbia University
OK budding embezzlers, we sort of thought at this point we wouldn't have to explain this to you, but here goes: If you are going to siphon cash from your place of business into a private bank account (let's say, around $4.4 million) you really don't want to do it in seven-digit chunks. You'd be much better served with the Office Space-style hundredth-of-a-penny-at-a-time method (just don't do that all at once, either—see the movie).
Ex-St John's Dean Accused of Using Students As Slaves
The former St. John's dean who is accused of embezzling over $1 million from the school is facing new charges that she used scholarships to force students to work for her off-campus for the most menial of duties. We imagine this wasn't as bad an indentured servitude as it was for Karla Giraldo, but maybe worse than what LeBron James got.
Port Authority Embezzler Could Get Disability Pension
The "obese, hooker-happy" former Port Authority union president who admitted in court earlier this week to embezzling over $300,000 from his union is planning on retiring—and may still be eligible for a disability pension, even if he is convicted. Daniel Hughes retired in January as president of the local Field Supervisors Association, and went on sick leave due to poor health and weight reduction surgery. Hughes earned just under $100,000 a year at his job, not counting the money he stole during a five-year period. One anonymous source told the Post, "There’s no question in my mind that this guy will file for a disability pension. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t."
Port Authority Embezzler Used $300K For What You'd Imagine
The former president of a Port Authority union admitted in court yesterday that he embezzled over $300,000 in order to pay for hookers and casino sprees. Daniel Hughes, 49, the former head of the Field Supervisor Association, Local 111-S, had been funneling cash from his union via the union's ATM card and personal checks since 2005, in order to, as the Post so lovingly puts it, "feed his carnal and gastronomic appetites."
Park Avenue Bank Head Charged With TARP Fraud
Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney's office charged the former president of Park Avenue Bank with 10 counts including fraud, embezzlement and bribery in a scheme to pass off millions in TARP funds as his own. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, "[Charles] Antonucci is the first person ever to be charged with attempting to defraud the TARP and we expect he will not be the last."
Woman Stole $42 Million From Union, Spent It On Horses
An administrator for the sandhog's union has been accused of heisting $42 million from the labor group — and spending a chunk of the cash on high-end horses, according to the Times. Melissa King, 58, is facing charges for allegedly exploiting her role overseeing benefits funds for the tunnel borers and using their money to pay for her lavish lifestyle and her youngest daughter's equestrian pursuits.
NYU Scammer Got Busted By Whistle-Blowing Student
A New York University chemistry department manager heisted $409,000 from the school since 2003 — and he would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for a meddling kid. History and film major Michael Peaden busted the frighteningly simple petty cash scam, in which chem department budget coordinator John Runowicz allegedly traded in 13,000 discarded liquor store receipts for reimbursement money, according to the Post.
Woman Charged With Embezzling MIllions From Sandhogs
Melissa King, who handled management of the Sandhogs union's benefits plan, was charged with embezzling $42 million from those plans! According to the NY Times, federal prosecutors say King, who was paid $540,000/year, funneled the money into accounts she controlled and the money "went toward expenses that appeared to be unrelated to union business, including $7.2 million to American Express, more than $3 million to equestrian businesses and $713,500 to a jewelry business." That equestrian business was to support her teen daughter, a junior champion horse jumper. The Sandhogs are the workers who are building the Third Water Tunnel and are involved in other infrastructure project. King was charged with theft and money laundering; she's out on $10 million bail.
City Councilman's Ex-Aides Will Plead Guilty To Fraud
Two former aides of City Councilman Kendall Stewart will plead guilty to fraud charges related to embezzling nearly $200,000 of Council funds. Asquith Reid, Stewart's former chief of staff, and Joycinth Anderson, a former staffer, were indicted after an investigation revealed that money, which Stewart directed to three community groups (controlled by Reid and Anderson), was being used for cash or wired to relatives; the scheme was discovered during a probe of the Council's slush fund practices. Councilman Stewart (pictured) told the Times, "I hope they will not be serving any time. With all honesty, I don’t think they have done anything wrong. I think they are being punished for not keeping correct paperwork." But Jumaane Williams, who is challenging Stewart for his Council seat, said Stewart should resign, "At the worst, Mr. Stewart had to have been complicit and known what was going on. At the minimum, he signed off on things without reading it and wasn’t paying attention to what was going on in his office. Either one is very bad."
Bronx Non-Profit Heads Accused Of Embezzling $200K
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the president and director of SBCC Management Corporation, which manages HUD-subsidized properties in the Bronx, stole $200,000 from the non-profit—and SBCC's president is Richard Izquierdo Arroyo, grandson of State Assemblywoman Carmen E. Arroyo and nephew of City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo (SBCC director is Margarita Villegas). Almost $15,000 from the non-profit were given to campaigns for someone believed to be Carmen Arroyo and Running Scared details some of the other spending: "The pair, along with an unnamed relative, ran up tabs worth $15,000 at clothing stores including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and --our favorite-- Promgirl. They also ran up bills of $66,000 with fine dining at the likes of Portofino, A Venice Restaurant, Tavern on the Green, and -- go figure -- IHOP. Another $48,000 went for airfares and hotels in San Juan, and Brooklyn (!). Another $34,000 was plunked down for car rentals, garages, and parking tickets in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and around the Empire State." Richard Arroyo and Villegas were indicted; City Councilwoman Arroyo, who apparently directed at least $50,000 in funds to SBCC, said, "I am confident that in the end, they will be able to clear their names."

