DOT Supervisor Sentenced In Gas Pump Thefts

• by New York State Inspector General

ALBANY, NY (05/08/2009)(readMedia)-- A maintenance supervisor for the New York State Department of Transportation was sentenced to five years probation Thursday for repeatedly gassing up his personal Ford Excursion at an official state pump, New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch announced.

Abraham Visscher, 40, of Montour Falls was sentenced by Judge J.C. Argetsinger in Schuyler County Court on a grand larceny conviction, and paid approximately $2,600 in restitution, according to Schuyler County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hayden, who prosecuted the case. A 15-year state employee, Visscher also resigned his position at DOT.

DOT operates gas stations across New York to provide fuel for state-owned vehicles and equipment. Inspector General Fisch found that Visscher stole more than 700 gallons of gasoline worth from the DOT fueling station in the town of Dix as fuel prices spiked in 2008.

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