NEWS RELEASE From New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 5, 2021 Contact: Lee Park - 518.474.1010 March 05, 2021
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NY IG TAGLIAFIERRO ANNOUNCES SENTENCING OF FORMER SUNY EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE FACILITIES DIRECTOR WHO SPENT $31K IN TAXPAYER FUNDS ON PERSONAL PURCHASES |
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New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro announced the sentencing of the former Director of Facilities at SUNY Empire State College after he was convicted for spending more than $31,000 in taxpayer funds on 171 unauthorized purchases over the course of three-and-a-half years.
Erik K. “Rick” Reimann, 51, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced in Saratoga Springs City Court before Hon. Francine Vero to three years’ probation. He pled guilty in January to one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second Degree (a misdemeanor) and has paid full restitution of $31,685. He is no longer employed by SUNY.
An investigation by the New York State Inspector General found that Reimann, the director of facilities at Empire State College since 2010, used a taxpayer-funded SUNY Empire State College credit card to fraudulently charge $31,685 for unauthorized and personal items between January 2016 and August 2019. To conceal the illegal purchases, Reimann forged or altered receipts and statements to make it appear as if they were for legitimate projects at the college.
The 171 unauthorized purchases, ranging from $10.44 for a pool scoop to $2,550 for a high-end air purifier and filter, included guitar amplifier parts, pool accessories, truck and jeep parts, grilling accessories, power tools, watches, ski gloves, camping supplies, all-season tires and multiple electrical parts, tools, kitchen appliances and accessories. Examples of Reimann’s unauthorized purchases are included at the end of this release.
The investigation also found that Reimann was able to continue his scheme undetected for so long due to lax oversight at the facilities department. Specifically, Reimann’s direct supervisor failed to adequately monitor his actions. A new administration that took leadership of SUNY Empire State College in July 2019 quickly discovered the misconduct as part of a thorough operational review and referred the matter to the Inspector General.
“This individual wasted taxpayer dollars on lavish personal items and abused the public’s trust,” said Inspector General Tagliafierro. “We found that he was able to get away with his selfish scheme because of absent supervision and lax controls. Thankfully, he is being held accountable for his misdeeds and strong safeguards have been put in place at Empire State College.”
Inspector General Tagliafierro thanked Empire State College for referring the matter to her office, the Office of Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan for prosecuting the case, and the New York State Police for conducting the arrest.
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