Pleads To Embezzling State Funds
For the second time in as many months, former State Sen. Shirley Huntley appeared in court and entered a guilty plea to criminal charges in connection with the embezzlement of state funds at a non-profit organization.
Huntley, 74, pled guilty last Wednesday, Feb. 13, in a Nassau County courtroom to a charge of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly concocting fake letters submitted to state investigators in an effort to cover up the misappropriation of state funds provided to Parent Workshop Inc., a purported charitable entity which the senator founded and supported.
The former lawmaker, who lost her seat to current State Sen. James Sanders in the Democratic primary last September, pled guilty on Jan. 30 in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for embezzling $87,000 in state funds through a nonprofit known as Parents Information Network between October 2005 and 2008 for her own personal use. She faces up to five years in a federal penitentiary and a fine of up to $250,000.
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who announced Huntley’s latest guilty plea in a press release last Wednesday, noted that the former senator faces a recommended sentence of five years’ probation. She had faced between 18 and 24 months in state prison, but leniency was sought by prosecutors based on her guilty plea and cooperation with federal authorities in the investigation.
Even so, Schneiderman and Di- Napoli did not mince words in condemning Huntley’s crimes in their joint announcement.
“It is unconscionable that an elected official would deliberately tamper with a law enforcement investigation into the theft of taxpayer dollars,” Schneiderman said. “Former Senator Huntley’s felony plea sends a strong message that those who abuse their positions to rip off taxpayers and tamper with investigations will be held accountable.”
“Former Senator Huntley betrayed the trust of her constituents and her public duty,” DiNapoli added. “State officials must be held to the highest standards.”
According to the charges, the president and treasurer of Parent Workshop Inc.-Patricia Savage and Lynn Smith, respectively, both of whom have ties to Huntley-submitted to the state phony documents in order to receive discretionary funds (also known as a member item) from then-Senator Huntley between 2008 and 2009. They claimed that Parent Workshop offered educational programs to parents of children in area public schools.
The state eventually provided Parent Workshop with a $29,950 allocation supported by the lawmaker.
Rather than use the funds for Parent Workshop’s programs, law enforcement sources said, the president and treasurer kept the proceeds for their own personal use. The scheme was uncovered through an investigation by the Joint Task Force on Public Integrity, operated by the State Attorney General’s and Comptroller’s offices.
Upon learning of the probe, authorities said, Huntley allegedly wrote a template for a false, backdated letter which claimed that Parent Workshop conducted programs as described in the original funding request. The letter was sent in response to a subpoena from Schneiderman’s office.
However, as investigators learned, the nonprofit never conducted any programs.
Savage and Smith were indicted on charges of third-degree grand larceny as well as offering a false instrument for filing after submitting phony documents to state investigators in an effort to validate the funding request. They are presently awaiting trial.
A third individual, David R. Gantt, was charged tampering with physical evidence, falsifying business records and conspiracy for allegedly working with Huntley to create and then disseminate the fraudulent letter. He is also awaiting prosecution.
The probe was assisted by Investigator Gerard Matheson and Investigative Analyst Brian Selfon of the Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Michael Ward and Chief Dominick Zarrella.
The case was prosecuted by Public Integrity Bureau Senior Counsel Emily Bradford, Public Integrity Bureau Assistant Attorney General Jerrold Steigman and Criminal Prosecutions Bureau Assistant Attorney General Thomas Schellhammer.
