Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Catherine Leahy Scott, New York State Inspector General, and Brian M. Hickey, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (“ED-OIG”), announced today that CARMINE MARINO, the former budget and finance director of City University of New York’s School of Professional Services (“CUNY SPS”) was arrested this morning and charged in Manhattan federal court with embezzling funds from CUNY SPS. MARINO voluntarily surrendered to federal authorities this morning and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, the former budget and finance director at CUNY SPS abused his position of trust, taking money that belonged to New York City college students for his own benefit. I want to thank our partners at the New York State Inspector General and Department of Education Office of Inspector General for their work to root out corruption at federally assisted New York schools.”
New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott said: “This arrest involving federal fraud and embezzlement charges against a former top university official underscores CUNY’s lack of supervision and appropriate controls, which unfortunately has been a consistent theme in my investigation of the CUNY system. I thank Acting U.S. Attorney Kim for prosecuting the case, and I will continue to work with current CUNY leadership and use all of the resources of my office to restore the trust among the student and taxpayers at large and to protect the integrity of the institution.”
ED-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Brian M. Hickey said: “Today’s charges allege that Mr. Marino knowingly and willfully abused his positions of trust for personal gain. That is completely unacceptable. OIG Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our nation’s students. America’s students, their families, and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and publicly available documents:
CARMINE MARNIO was in charge of finance and fiscal operations at CUNY SPS between 2007 and 2012, first as its Manager of Fiscal Operations, and then as its Director of Fiscal and Business Operations. In those roles, he controlled and oversaw CUNY SPS’s finances and bank accounts. In two separate but similar schemes, MARINO used his power over CUNY SPS’s finances to set up unauthorized bank accounts in CUNY SPS’s name, and to fund those accounts with money from CUNY SPS’s tuition account, among others. MARINO then used those unauthorized accounts, which only he knew about, to embezzle tens of thousands of dollars for his personal use.
MARINO, 43, of Los Angeles, California, is charged with one count of embezzlement and misappropriation from a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and two counts of bank fraud, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in these cases are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the New York State Inspector General’s Office, ED-OIG, and the Criminal Investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and noted that the investigation is continuing.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
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