Pomonok Senior Center swindled for $178,000

Staffers at a Flushing community center misused more than $178,000 worth of funds earmarked for programs for seniors and children, and instead, used them to make questionable payments to family and friends who were on the payroll, according to a recently released audit by City Comptroller William Thompson.
Thompson’s audit of the Pomonok Neighborhood Center, which receives funds from both city and state agencies, spanned from January of 2003 through the end of June the following year when he uncovered that the youth director at the time made controversial payments nearing $85,000 to family and friends, who worked at the site.
“It appears that the youth program director attempted to systematically exhaust the personal service funds allocated for the youth programs by manipulating his own timesheets as well as the timesheets for his daughter, his live-in girlfriend, and his girlfriend’s son,” Thompson said. “The youth program director hired these individuals in direct violation of Pomonok’s agreement with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD); they reported directly to him, and he approved their timesheets.”
In addition, the audit found that the center made other suspect salary payments of more than $95,000 to other employees, questionable payments of nearly $25,000 to its vendors, did not properly authorize checks for city-funded programs as well as misrepresenting its financial status by overstating its liabilities by more than $700,000.
“It’s terrible and very sad,” said Esther Nussenblatt, who has been going to the Pomonok Senior Center for nearly 25 years. “If they did it, they should go to jail.”
Nussenblatt said she knew the men in question in the audit and always thought they were nice people, who were always willing to help.
“We are still reviewing the Comptroller’s report, and once that review is completed we will make a decision on whether to investigate criminally,” said Kevin Ryan, a spokesperson for District Attorney Richard Brown.
Thompson’s office began looking into the Pomonok Neighborhood Center after Assemblymember Nettie Mayersohn alerted him that she suspected some inappropriate activity.
“I am outraged that people entrusted with funding intended to benefit the children of our community apparently abused that trust and used the funds as their own personal piggy bank,” Mayersohn said.
During the summer of 2005, while Thompson’s office was conducting the audit, Pomonok’s Board of Directors fired its executive director, youth program director and senior center program director and put the Forest Hills Community Center in charge of operating the facility.
Calls and messages left for executives at the Forest Hills Community Center were not returned. Under new direction, the Pomonok Neighborhood Center remains open and a popular spot for seniors to go for a hot meal during the cold months.
“I love this place because we can park right here [near the center],” Nussenblatt said. “It’s one of the few senior places you can go and do that.”