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State Inspector General Biben Announces Arrests for Fraudulent Commercial Driver License Permits

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:45:33 -0400

Following an investigation by New York State Inspector General Ellen Biben, criminal charges were filed today against a Motor Vehicle supervisor in Rensselaer County who helped her son and a friend cheat on the written exam for a Commercial Driver...

Inspector General Investigating OCFS Overtime

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:10:48 -0500

New York State Inspector General Ellen N. Biben has expanded her current probe of overtime abuse at the state Office of Children and Family Services to include the recently reported "spike" in youth facility overtime pay, the Inspector General's o...

OCFS Aide Sentenced in $709,000 Insurance Fraud

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:30:52 -0500

Inspector General Ellen N. Biben and U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian announced the sentencing today of a former state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) youth aide who defrauded the state health plan in a $709,000 scheme to obtain na...

Inspector General Finds Vet Counselor Worked Second Job on State Time

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:45:26 -0500

Inspector General Joseph Fisch determined that Gerald Ladouceur, a former Senior Veterans' Counselor for the state Division of Veterans' Affairs, amassed nearly $23,000 in improper outside income by working extra jobs on state time. Ladouceur, who...

Battery Park City Authority Cuts Lavish Spending in Response to Inspector General's Report

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:25 -0400

New York's Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) squandered more than $300,000 on parties, gifts, and free lunches, as staff complained of favoritism by top executives, a report released today by Inspector General Joseph Fisch concluded.

Inspector General Finds State Leaders Disregarded Public Duty in Aqueduct Deal

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:02:12 -0400

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch today released a report that criticizes the Governor's Office and state Legislative leaders for failing to fulfill their public duty in the January 2010 selection of Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) ...

Stimulus Oversight Panel Nixes $7 Million ARRA Contract

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:35:11 -0400

New York's Stimulus Oversight Panel uncovered improper bidding practices on two American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) projects, prompting the cancellation of a $7 million weatherization contract in Brooklyn and the referral of a Su...

DOCS Boss Arrested For Moonlighting on State Time

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:00:30 -0400

The New York State Inspector General's Office and New York State Police today arrested a state Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) maintenance supervisor on a felony charge after he allegedly worked an unauthorized second job while on duty ...

Inspector General Finds Falsified Voucher Covered Grant Abuse

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:21:13 -0400

The New York State Inspector General's Office and New York State Police yesterday arrested Paul Lilac, former Executive Director of the Stillwater Area Community Services Center, after he admitted falsifying expenses on a $2,820 voucher filed with...

Inspector General Finds HESC Played Favorites With Student Loan Payments

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:01:00 -0400

An investigation by New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch found that Joseph Catalano, Assistant Vice President of Collection and Default Management at the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), prompted his subordinat...

Inspector General Blocks International Scammers Shipping to Ghana

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:14:00 -0400

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch today announced the recovery of more than $117,000 in computer equipment targeted by international swindlers after a joint investigation with the state Office of General Services (OGS) and local police...

Inspector General Finds State Fair Funds Squandered

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:26:37 -0400

An investigation by New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch determined that former State Fair Director Peter Cappuccilli, Jr. diverted state funds worth $78,000 for personal use, squandered an additional $870,000 in state money on lavish par...

DCJS Examiner Arrested For Improper Searches, Inspector General Reports

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:11:57 -0400

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch announced the arrest of a longtime Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) employee after she allegedly searched a confidential database more than 200 times for possible information on her bosses,...

Inspector General Finds ORPS Director Exploited Staff

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:01:03 -0400

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch determined that Lee Kyriacou, former Executive Director of the New York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS), misused state staff for his private business such as booking a family vacation, dr...

Inspector General Finds NYSTI Director's Improper Spending Topped $1 Million

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:31:35 -0400

State Inspector General Joseph Fisch found that New York State Theatre Institute (NYSTI) Producing Director Patricia Snyder repeatedly violated state laws on nepotism and used the state authority to steer nearly $700,000 in payments and benefits t...

Inspector General Finds College Prof Took Home Cameras Worth $45,000

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:01:00 -0400

Longtime photography Professor Leslie Krims took two Buffalo State College cameras worth more than $45,000 for his personal and private business, leaving faculty and students without access to the equipment, according to a report released today by...

Inspector General Finds OMH Boss Linked Promotion to Shady Mortgage Deal

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:02:31 -0500

State Inspector General Joseph Fisch found that David Carabello, a top administrator for the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), promised a promotion to an OMH employee if the employee purchased Carabello's New Jersey condominium. Carabe...

Governor's Stimulus Oversight Panel Releases First Quarterly Report

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:29:48 -0500

New York's Stimulus Oversight Panel's first Quarterly Report to Governor David A. Paterson, released today, details its oversight to date of $31 billion in federal funds earmarked for New York under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 20...

Inspector General and U.S. Attorney Announce Arrests

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:48:25 -0500

Inspector General Joseph Fisch joined in a press conference today in Manhattan with Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announcing the unsealing of charges against seven members of an identity fraud ring, i...

Inspector General Finds Eavesdropping by Public Information Director After He Was Fired

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:15:56 -0500

A report by Inspector General Joseph Fisch concluded that John Charlson, former Public Information Officer for the state Division of the Lottery (Lottery), eavesdropped on a confidential management meeting and accessed the Lottery's computer netwo...

Inspector General Uncovers More Misdeeds in State Attorney Hires

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:30:36 -0500

Inspector General Joseph Fisch found three lawyers were hired improperly after state officials manipulated the state's Legal Specialties Exam. The investigation also revealed that state Department of Civil Service safeguards were insufficient to p...

Inspector General Finds Misconduct at State Police Forensic Lab

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:01:32 -0500

An investigation by Inspector General Joseph Fisch into the Trace Evidence Section of the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center found that Forensic Scientist Garry Veeder routinely failed to conduct a required test and "dry-labbed" b...

Inspector General Finds Racial Taunts, Lack of Supervision at Man Cave

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:06:07 -0500

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch recommended disciplinary action against three state supervisors in the final "man cave" report released today. In the 16-page report, Fisch concluded that poor oversight by Office of General Services (...

Inspector General Reports on Public Housing Scam

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:59:49 -0400

Inspector General Joseph Fisch found that the building manager of a public housing complex collected up to $25,000 monthly rent in cash and surreptitiously awarded himself contracts to operate a deli, laundromat and make renovations at the site.

Woman Arrested After Snooping on Son's Rape Victim

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:01:54 -0400

New York State Inspector General Joseph Fisch announced the arrest of a Fulton County woman who illegally accessed confidential state data related to her son's rape victim.