By Nathan Duke
Carla Henderson, 51, who formerly lived at 34-20 24th St. in Astoria but was living at 3799 Apple Way in Marietta, Ga. at the time of her arrest, faces charges of grand larceny, identity theft, scheme to defraud and falsifying business records in a 32-count indictment , Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.Henderson, who could be sentenced to as much as 15 years in prison if convicted, was charged late last month before Acting Supreme Court Justice James Griffin, who set her bail at $70,000 and ordered her to return to court on May 29, the DA said.”The defendant is accused of using her position of trust as a fiduciary agent almost from the first day of her employment to unjustly enrich herself by siphoning off tens of thousands of dollars payable to the hospital,” Brown said. Henderson worked as a bookkeeper for the hospital, which is located on Main Street in Flushing, from September 2003 to June 2004 as a full-time employee, the DA said. During that time, she was responsible for receiving and processing checks payable to the hospital, he said.The defendant's alleged thefts were discovered through an internal audit of the hospital's financial records after she had already moved to Georgia in the summer of 2004, the DA said.Henderson allegedly stole $63,381 from the hospital by diverting nine checks to a shell company she created named New York Health Medical Care Quality, which used the same initials as the hospital – NYHMCQ, Brown said. She then allegedly transferred the proceeds into her account and falsified hospital records, the DA said. “Her alleged conduct represents a betrayal of the confidence that the hospital and medical professionals had in her,” Brown said.Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
