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New York State Comptroller's Office

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Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State
Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State A retired Westchester County police officer and a former BOCES criminal justice instructor has been charged with allegedly swindling the state and local retirement system out of more than $157,000. Anthony Sciacca, age 67, of Poughkeepsie, was charged Thursday, July 14, by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Ulster County District Attorney David J. Clegg, and the state police. After retiring from the Westchester Police Department in 2005, Sciacca became an instructor at Ulster County BOCES teaching criminal justice and earning a salary of over $70,000, DiNapoli said. As a state retiree u…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims
NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims A New York man was sentenced for his role in a $12 million Ponzi scheme that targeted nearly 50 victims from throughout the region and the nation between 2015 and 2017. Long Island resident Matthew Eckstein, age 52, of Syosset, was sentenced on Monday, July 11 to three-and-a-half to 10-and-a-half years in prison. Eckstein originally pleaded guilty to the charges on September 26, 2019, but later withdrew his plea. A new indictment was secured in August 2020, but court closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the case. “This defendant preyed upon seniors and hard-working men…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month
Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month Andrew Cuomo is no longer sitting inside the Governor’s Mansion in Albany, but he is still collecting a hefty paycheck from New York State. The embattled former governor, who resigned over the summer following an investigation into nearly a dozen of complaints of sexual harassment, received his first pension check last month to the tune of $4,219.11, according to the New York State comptroller’s office. His first payment was sent in October 2021, officials said. Cuomo's annual benefits add up to $50,629.32, which he will get the amount for the rest of his life, plus future cost of living …

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by Zak Failla
News
Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees
Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees A 41-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $88,000 in tax funds collected for the use of an area town and its schools.  Jennifer Colucci, of Hopewell Junction, was arrested on Tuesday, March 2, following an investigation by the state Comptroller's Office, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office, and the New York State Police. She served as Beekman tax collector for two years, ending in August 2020. “While people across the state struggled to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic, Jennifer Colucci allegedly used taxpayer dollars to fund her ow…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years
Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years Motorists traveling on the New York State Thruway will no longer have to handle cash when paying tolls, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a $355 million investment to transition to cashless tolling within two years. This investment will help to implement cashless tolling while removing existing toll booths at a total of 52 Thruway interchanges and barriers. As a result, the more than 267 million motorists traveling the Thruway annually will be able to enjoy “non-stop, streamlined travel.” The plan was approved by New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors and is expected to be im…

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by Valerie Musson
Police & Fire
Town Clerk Accused Of Embezzling $20,000 Town Clerk Accused Of Embezzling $20,000
Town Clerk Accused Of Embezzling $20,000 A town clerk in Crawford has been arrested for allegedly embezzling $20,000 from the town over the past several years. Jolene Roy, 44, of Pine Bush, was arrested Monday, March 11, following an investigation by the state police in Middletown into irregularities with the books and accounts within the Town Clerk's office, said New York State Police Trooper Steven Nevel.  After an extensive investigation, it was determined that approximately $20,000 had allegedly been stolen by Roy, who has held the elected position since 2014, he said.  Roy was charged with grand larceny, …

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Rockland Budget With 2.9 Tax Hike Adopted Rockland Budget With 2.9 Tax Hike Adopted
Rockland Budget With 2.9 Tax Hike Adopted Rockland County Executive Ed Day thanked the Minority members of the Rockland County Legislature for supporting his vetoes as the county's $709 million budget with a 2.9 percent tax hike was approved. "The Majority's amended budget would have been a return to the days of speculative revenue, over-estimating sales tax revenue and a refusal to modernize county government," said Day. "In short, a budget like theirs could lead us back down the path of deficits and double-digit tax increases; a return to the sins of the past." The vetoes included Legislative amendments that: Included $3.5 mill…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System
Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System A 63-year-old area woman utilized her deceased mother's pension in the New York State retirement system to fraudulently collect nearly $42,000 in payments, state police said. State Police investigators in Poughkeepsie were notified by the Division of Investigations of the New York State Comptroller’s Office regarding the possible larceny of New York State retirement funds.  An investigation discovered the mother of Pleasant Valley resident Bonnie S. Robertson died in 2013.  Robertson, who had joint access to her mother’s state pension account, failed to notify the state retirement fund of …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Northern Westchester Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Northern Westchester
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Northern Westchester A former fire department chief and police officer is facing up to 25 years behind bars after allegedly stealing more than $300,000 from the department in Northern Westchester. Gerald Munson, who most recently served as the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department Treasurer, has been arraigned on several charges related to the theft of $312,925 from the department on Wednesday morning in Croton-on-Hudson Village Court. While acting as treasurer, Munson was tasked with maintaining the department’s bank account and financial records, despite having no prior qualifications or background in accounting o…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Hudson Valley School Districts Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed' Hudson Valley School Districts Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed'
Hudson Valley School Districts Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed' Twenty-six school districts, including two in the Hudson Valley, have been designated as fiscally stressed under New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Fiscal Stress Monitoring System.  Rhinebeck Central School District in Dutchess County was flagged as one of seven New York districts that are experiencing "moderate fiscal stress."  Port Chester-Rye Union Free District, which approved a nearly $80 million school construction bond issue last spring and has another one on the ballot next month for major Middle School renovations, was labeled "susceptible to fiscal stre…

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by Jon Craig