BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – An ACS employee from the Bronx allegedly stole $6,600 from New York City by lying on his timesheet, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday.
“This ACS community coordinator, as charged, falsely overstated his hours worked at the Horizon Juvenile Center, where his job was to deliver commissary items to the residents and track behavioral issues,” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said. “By claiming to work when he wasn’t, including for nine full shifts and even overtime, he not only failed to meet his responsibilities to Horizon residents, he stole funds from the City.”
According to a DOI investigation, 44-year-old Michael Derico failed to appear at the facility, arrived at the facility later than his time sheet indicated, or departed earlier than his time sheet showed.
Derico also allegedly lied in his timesheets and was paid for nine shifts of unworked hours and other work he did not do. This took place from December 2020 to March 2021, according to the DOI investigation.
Derico was indicted on third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree grand larceny, nine counts of first-degree falsifying business records, and nine counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Hornstein.
The defendant is due back in court on Sep. 7.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
