The latest case out of the Suffolk County DA's office couldn't be better timed to Tax Day. According to DA Thomas Spota, a former manager at a nonprofit health agency on Long Island stole IDs from more than 50 patients with brain injuries—so that he could get their tax refunds. Which strikes us as a lot of dreary paperwork for an estimated $20,000 in New York state refunds. more ›

A New York inmate will spend more time in prison after filing tax returns claiming he was owed a $890 million refund. The AP reports that the forms were submitted to the IRS from 2006 to 2010 while he was incarcerated, and at one point the inmate was mailed a $327,000 check from the government, but prison officials confiscated it. In other blatant examples of why our tax law needs to be reformed, Mitt Romney paid $44,000 more in taxes than he actually owed. more ›

A 17-year-old was stabbed to death early Saturday morning in the Bronx when he tried to get a $10 refund after he was kicked out of a house party. Police found Damien Martinez with a stab wound to the chest on Bathgate Avenue in Tremont; he was pronounced dead at the hospital. "They killed my brother over $10. My brother didn't deserve to die over $10," said sister Starleena Vargas. more ›

2011 has only just begun, but we've already found the best lawsuit of the year: NYC college student Hubert Blackman recently filed a $1.8 million claim against a Las Vegas escort service because his stripper didn't stay to cuddle with him. And because he now needs medical treatment for a mental condition related to the "tragic" incident. more ›

A few weeks back we learned that the Federal Transit Administration was demanding that New Jersey refund the over $2.7 billion the FTA invested in the ARC Tunnel Project, which Governor Chris Christie cancelled because it got too expensive. According to the debt notice obtained by AP, "FTA demands payment in full within 30 days from the date of this letter, hereinafter referred to as the 'delinquency date,'" which was November 24th. So much for holiday bonuses. more ›

On Halloween night, Alex & Leo Entertainment, Inc. hosted a party at Tavern on the Green. Tickets were anywhere from $60 to $130, with around 5,000 revelers doling out their hard earned cash for the extravaganza (which promised an open bar and buffet). After an overcrowding problem due to alleged scalped tickets, however, the party only ran for 90 minutes, after guests waited 3 hours to get in. When word hit the press, the company promised refunds. more ›

Channel 7's Tappy Phillips wants answers about that Tavern on the Green debacle that went down on Halloween night. To recap: the restaurant pointed the finger at the promoters, who in turn pointed the finger at scalpers who pushed the event over capacity and advertised the wrong start time. As a result, thousands more than expected showed up to the restaurant and stood around for hours trying to get in. Because what else are you going to do in New York City on Halloween? The cops eventually shut the party down at 1:30 a.m., about an hour after it started. But don't worry, Tappy's on it! more ›

One man took to NY1 after being duped by AEG Live when he bought tickets to one of Paul McCartney's Citi Field concerts this summer. They report that Roger Scholl bought two tickets (at $190 a pop) in the field's B6 section, but that section was moved to a less desirable area after the transaction went through. Scholl explains, "What they did was they took where B6 was supposed to be, where the seats were that we had bought, and on the new seating chart there was a section called B5-1 that had physically taken the location where B6 had originally been." After complaints to both the Mets and AEG, he still ended up in the new B6 area when the show started. The Mets have now told NY1: "The seating plans for the Paul McCartney shows underwent some late adjustments due to changes in the staging and production that affected a small number of seats. The Mets worked diligently with concert promoters and Paul McCartney's management to relocate customers whose views in their estimation were compromised." Though they say the sightlines remained consistent with the price, AEG has given disgruntled customer a refund. more ›

Earlier this year, it was announced Con Ed would give refunds of $100 to residents and $350 to businesses who were struck by the 2006 blackout in Queens and now the state Public Service Commission has approved the compensation plan. Oh, and customers will also get a "formal apology." Assemblyman Michael Gianaris slammed the PSC, "Whether it is blackouts, steampipe explosions, stray voltage electrocutions, or record rate hikes in the face of multi-million dollar executive salaries, the PSC looks the other way while Con Ed continues to plague this city. Until Con Edison is forced to make dramatic reforms, we can expect more of the same - unreliable service and ever-increasing rates." more ›

Did you venture to the South Street Seaport to see the Bodies Exhibit any time over the past three-plus years? If so, you're entitled to a refund because Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and exhibitor Premier agreed to a settlement after a disturbing 20/20 report suggested the bodies used were from executed Chinese prisoners who may have been tortured. more ›

Two weeks ago, it was reported Con Ed would offer victims of the 2006 blackout--which affected businesses and homeowners in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside, Queens for many sweltering summer days--$100 each. Now it's confirmed Con Ed will be giving the money--$100 to residents, $350 to some businesses--in the form of a "credit on their monthly bill, which will also include a brief apology from the company." That makes everything all better! more ›