• 25
  • January
    2012

White collar crime and financial fraud can come in all forms. While billion-dollar Ponzi schemes remain in national headlines for weeks and even months, it does not mean that individuals on smaller scales are not immune from being charged with fraud, larceny and other white collar crimes - including some who may not even entirely realize that their behavior was in the wrong.

Last year, New York State Inspector General Ellen Biben promised to probe into the abuse of business credit cards within state agencies: "Many employees are entrusted with state-issued credit cards to assist with their job-related duties and responsibilities, and not their personal expenses. New Yorkers rightfully expect that government employees do their jobs with integrity, and my office will continue to vigorously root out those who violate that trust."

The arrests of three New York state workers a few weeks ago shows that the Inspector General was has followed through last year's promise.

Two state employees from the New York State Department of Health and one from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities were arrested three weeks ago on charges relating to larceny and misconduct. All were believed to have used their government business credit cards for personal purchases.

According to a statement issued by the inspector general's office, a 42-year-old secretary in the health department used her business credit card to pay for housing expenses and a rental car. She has been charged with felony-level larceny and a misdemeanor count of official misconduct. The second employee, a 55-year-old Schenectady woman who used to work as a secretary in the health department, used her business-issued card to pay several bar tabs as well as a for a personal storage unit. She was charged with four misdemeanor counts of larceny and one count of official misconduct. Both had been issued government cards to purchase office supplies and help book travel arrangements for department officials.

The third individual, a 29-year-old woman who had been an aide with the state disability agency, was believed to have used her card to purchase gas and a gift card. She had been issued a business card to buy equipment and supplies for the residential facility in which she worked as an aide. She has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of larceny.

Further action is pending in each of the employees' cases.

Source: Albany Times Union, "IG: Workers misused state-issued credit cards," 12/28/11.