AG Cuomo starts investigation into 5 LI districts
NEWSDAY BY ROBERT E. KESSLER - robert.kessler@newsday.com
February 19, 2008
State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo yesterday started an investigation, parallel to an ongoing federal probe, into possible financial misconduct at five Long Island school districts, issuing a subpoena for records at the Hauppauge law firm of Ingerman Smith, according to a spokesman for Cuomo and an attorney for the firm.
Lawrence Reich, a former partner at the law firm, was listed as a partner at Ingerman Smith while five school districts each reported him as a full-time employee to the state, according to a Newsday investigation. Reich has denied any wrongdoing and could not be reached yesterday.
Newsday reported Saturday that a federal grand jury in Central Islip was looking into fraud at districts linked to Reich.
Eastern District federal prosecutors and FBI agents on Friday issued subpoenas to the districts - Baldwin, Bellmore-Merrick High School, Copiague, East Meadow and Harborfields - seeking their financial records.
An attorney for Ingerman Smith, Joseph Conway, said the law firm had received the state subpoena late yesterday.
John Milgrom, a spokesman for Cuomo, said the state subpoena was issued under laws giving the attorney general the power to probe possible fraud related to state funds.
Newsday reported that Reich was able to collect a state pension of more than $61,000 a year because of his alleged full-time status with the districts.
Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell, declined to comment.
Conway, now in private practice in Garden City after serving as head of the U.S. Attorney's Long Island office, said last night that he had been hired recently to represent Ingerman Smith in its dealings with investigators.
The state subpoena, issued by Cuomo's public integrity division, sought firm records on Reich and his dealings with the districts, Conway said.
He said he has been negotiating with federal prosecutors and FBI agents over the records but that under federal law Justice Department officials must approve the subpoenaing of lawyers' records, which could take several days.
Conway said the state subpoena required the firm to turn over its records by mid-March.
Hey dear Andrew Cuomo here is a tip for you, does the last name Lupinetti rings a bell. If it does take a look at the alleged illegal scams this last name is associated with in Orange County.
ReplyDeleteanother two bit rat lawyer got caught stealing from the schools. We'll have a big fuss, then an investigation and then it will come out that he ready didn't break any law/rules, so no one can do anything. The rat lawyers live by a completely different set of rules that the rest of us do!
ReplyDeleteI think AG Cuomo needs to look in his own back yard NYC before you can help others.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong.. but isn't Andrew Cuomo doing the job he was elected to do? Didn't this lawyer rip off the state workers and the state pension fund? Who else is there to represent their interests?
ReplyDeletethis piece of garbage is Exhibit One of why people don't trust lawyers. First: he should have his law license taken away forever. Second: he didn't pull this off by himself, who in the school system helped and aided him?
ReplyDelete11:06 am comment...AG Andrew Cuomo has received numerous complaints within his office, involving public corruption pertaining to lawyers, other governmental agencies, and etc. He has done nothing to resurrect and correct these serious problems that are occurring in NYC.
ReplyDelete3:56 pm...you are absolutely correct and i am speaking from WNY....HE was a butt for years and he is so nasty and arrogant!
ReplyDeleteHey Andrew Cuomo how come certain judges and attorneys some how connected to your name are been protected?
ReplyDeleteAndrew lets us send you a list of the corrupt ones. We pay taxes and surely want to ensure every single dime you spend at our expense is spend wisely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this information with us!
ReplyDeletelong island law firm