This Week: Manhattan D.A. and Comptroller DiNapoli Announce Indictments in Frauds Totaling Nearly $1 Million

 

Manhattan D.A. and Comptroller DiNapoli Announce Indictments in Frauds Totaling Nearly $1 Million

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and Comptroller DiNapoli announced two separate indictments alleging three individuals defrauded New York State of nearly $1 million. An Accounts Payable Manager at John Jay College of Criminal Justice used their position to divert and steal approximately $710,000 by submitting fraudulent requests for stipend checks purportedly on behalf of students who were enrolled in the college’s Academic Preparation Program for Law Enforcement.

Separately, two individuals allegedly stole $288,529 from the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy Charter School by incorporating a fraudulent, similarly named school in Idaho, and diverting and depositing two checks intended for the Manhattan-based non-profit. The Comptroller’s Office referred both matters to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office.

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Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Taxpayer Migration Dashboard

Comptroller DiNapoli has unveiled a new taxpayer migration dashboard that allows the public to examine personal income tax filers moving into and out of New York. Building on his previous reports analyzing pre-pandemic and pandemic-era migration trends, this new tool uses Department of Taxation and Finance data to provide the latest figures on part-year resident filers. The dashboard will be updated annually, offering the ability to analyze trends on the state's changing demographic and economic landscape.

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Common Retirement Fund Opposes National Grid’s Executive Compensation Plan

The Common Retirement Fund (Fund) votes by proxy on all director nominees, advisory votes on executive compensation, and shareholder proposals at annual and special meetings for each of the U.S. companies in the Fund’s public equity portfolio, as well as those of select non-U.S. companies. The Fund is voting against National Grid's executive compensation plan at their Annual General Meeting on July 14. The plan features overlapping metrics in the short-term and long-term plans, potentially rewarding executives multiple times for achieving a single metric.

More Enforcement Needed for Air Pollution Permits and Environmental Justice Protections

Comptroller DiNapoli released a follow-up report that looked at whether the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) addressed problems found in his prior audit of DEC’s Monitoring of Air Quality – Facility Permits and Registrations. The report found that while DEC made progress implementing the initial audit recommendations, more work was needed to improve monitoring and enforcement of air pollution facilities and compliance with environmental justice requirements.

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Comptroller DiNapoli Partners with Brooklyn DA Gonzalez for Gun Buy Back Event

M U N I C I P A L   &   S C H O O L   A U D I T S

• Village of Unadilla – Disbursements
• Gorham Fire District – Procurement
• Town of Whitestown – Inventories
• Town of Paris – Water and Sewer User Charges
• Town of Denmark – Claims Auditing
• Uniondale Union Free School District – Audit Follow-Up

A L S O  I N  T H E  N E W S

• CUNY and charter school workers indicted in separate schemes totaling nearly $1M in fraud against NYS
• Industrial polluters continue operating with expired air-quality permits
• Comptroller raises issues with domestic violence hotline
• NY wants COVID-19 grants back from 17 Long Island businesses

P O S T   O F   T H E   W E E K