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Keenya Lessey, age 48, of Baldwin, allegedly submitted 19 falsified timesheets claiming to have worked with the fourth-grader with special needs in the Hempstead Union Free School District when she was not, and wrongfully collected more than $10,000 in pay, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.
Timesheets claimed Lessey worked full-time with the student at the Academy Charter School in Uniondale during winter break and other dates when the student was absent.
Lessey was arraigned on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and charged with the following felonies:
- Grand larceny in the third degree,
- Falsifying business records.
Lessey pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. She is due back in court on Friday, Nov. 8.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to two to seven years in prison.
"This defendant allegedly claimed to work with a student, even on days when the student was absent," Donnelly said. "This behavior blatantly disregards the professional trust afforded the defendant and strips resources from those who truly need them."
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