New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and today announced the guilty plea of Linda Miller, 57, of Englewood, New Jersey, over the theft of more than $162,000 in pension benefits from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System. The defendant, Linda Miller, continued to cash her mother Josephine Miller’s retirement benefits until 2012, despite her mother’s death in 2006. Linda Miller pleaded guilty to 3rd degree Grand Larceny, a class D felony, in Albany County Court before the Honorable Thomas A. Breslin.
“Ms. Miller stole her dead mother's pension; now she is a convicted felon facing state prison,” said State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Fraud on the retirement system will not be tolerated and I will continue to partner with Attorney General Schneiderman to root out fraud of public funds and bring those who would defraud the taxpayers to justice."
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that those who steal from our state pension system will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Through my office’s partnership with Comptroller DiNapoli, we will continue to protect our state pension system from fraud and abuse.”
Josephine Miller was a New York State pensioner, who retired from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Miller died in 2006, with no survivor designated to receive benefits. According to the Comptroller and Attorney General’s Office, the defendant failed to notify the Retirement System of her mother’s death. She continued to receive retirement benefits during a six year period between May 1, 2006 and August 31, 2012. All told, the Attorney General and Comptroller’s Offices accused Miller of stealing over $162,000 in pension benefits.
The defendant faces one to three years in state prison when she is sentenced on October 14, 2015.
The Joint Task Force on Public Integrity is a cooperative effort between Comptroller DiNapoli and Attorney General Schneiderman's offices to root out public corruption and the misuse of public funds by maximizing the resources of each office.
The criminal case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Christopher Baynes of the Public Integrity Bureau. The Public Integrity Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Daniel Cort and Deputy Bureau Chief Stacy Aronowitz. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.
The investigation was conducted by the Comptroller’s Division of Investigations, with assistance from Investigator Dennis Churns and Deputy Chief Investigator Antoine J. Karam and Legal Analyst Sara Pogorzelski of the Attorney General’s Investigations Division which is led by Chief Investigator Dominick Zarrella.
The Comptroller and Attorney General thank the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for their cooperation in this case.
Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at [email protected], or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 14th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.