Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued the following statement on the arrest of a Correction Officer with the City Department of Correction (“DOC”) on charges of submitting fraudulent medical notes in order to collect approximately $5,400 in sick pay she was not entitled to receive. DOI’s investigation was prompted by a report from DOC’s Health Management Division (“HMD”), which is located in Queens. DOI investigated this matter with the Queens District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case.
NAKEIA COAKLEY, 36, of Wyandanch, N.Y., was charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Corrupting the Government in the Third Degree, which are class D felonies; and 15 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor. Upon conviction a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year’s incarceration. COAKLEY was arraigned and released on her own recognizance. Her next court date is scheduled for July 24, 2026.
DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata said, “As charged, this Correction Officer allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to support claims of medical treatment that never occurred. Misrepresenting sick time to get paid for days not worked is a crime that shortchanges taxpayers and the expectation that all City employees abide by the law, particularly law enforcement professionals such as correction officers. I thank the Queens District Attorney’s Office for its partnership in this investigation and DOC for reporting this matter to DOI.”
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “As alleged, this defendant deliberately falsified medical documentation and submitted it to her employer to secure paid sick leave and dodge her responsibilities as a Correction Officer. Public servants are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity. Those who exploit that trust for personal benefit will be held accountable. I thank our partners at the New York City Department of Investigation and the Department of Correction for their work on this case.”
Under DOC regulations, uniformed correction officers who report sick for more than two days must submit medical documentation to HMD and uniformed correction officers who report sick for nine or more days in one calendar year may not leave their homes except under certain circumstances, which include seeking medical treatment. Correction officers must forward documentation of their out-of-residence activity and that documentation must include the date and time of services rendered.
According to the criminal complaint, the HMD database reflected that the defendant was out on sick leave for 14 days in 2022 and allegedly submitted 15 notes to HMD on specified dates in the April through November 2022 time period. COAKLEY allegedly submitted 11 notes purportedly from a Manhattan medical center to HMD indicating that she received treatment at the medical center on specified dates during this time period. Eight of these documents also displayed a purported signature from a doctor. The investigation found that the defendant was not seen at the medical center or by the doctor on the dates in question and was never a patient at the medical center or of the doctor. The investigation also determined the defendant allegedly submitted four letters on purported company letterhead indicating that she was treated at a Hauppauge, N.Y. physical therapy and chiropractic practice on specified dates in July and August 2022. The letters also bore a signature of a person from whom she purportedly received treatment. The investigation found that the defendant was not seen at this practice on the dates in question and that the letters were not generated by the practice. As a result of these alleged actions, the defendant received $5,407 in sick pay she was not entitled to receive.
COAKLEY began employment at DOC in September 2012 and currently has an annual base salary of approximately $101,590.
Commissioner Shihata thanked Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and her staff for their partnership on this investigation. Commissioner Shihata also thanked DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards and his staff for their cooperation in this investigation.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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