New York School Leaders Accused Of Corruption, ‘Lavish’ Spending In Hudson Valley
School leaders from the Hudson Valley, including a superintendent are accused of using school money on "lavish" personal items.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced that the former superintendent of schools and a former security system specialist of the Greenburgh-Graham Union Free School District were arrested on corruption charges.
Top School Officials Arrested On Corruption Charges In Westchester County, New York
Oliver Levy, 55, of Stony Point in Rockland County, and Surendra Kumar, 47, of Yonkers, in Westchester County are accused of stealing school district funds. Officials say they spent the money on personal and luxury expenses between 2018 and 2022.
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“This alleged act of public corruption by those responsible for the care of students in need betrayed the trust of the entire school district community," DA Rocah said.
The alleged stolen money was meant for students in the Greenburgh-Graham Union Free School District.
According to court documents, Levy approved Kumar's purchase of 168 gift cards between July 18 and May 2022.
Money Spent On 'Lavish' Items
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Both allegedly used more than $12,000 of the gift cards for personal expenses, including jewelry, luxury handbags, private school fees for relatives, and veterinary services.
“Levy and Kumar were entrusted with money meant to enrich the lives of students with disabilities; instead, they allegedly enriched their own lives by spending the money on lavish gifts for themselves," Comptroller DiNapoli said.
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Both were charged with grand larceny, public corruption and corrupting the government, all felonies.
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