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NEWS from the Office of the New York State Comptroller
Contact: Press Office 518-474-4015

DiNapoli: Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $121,000 in Pension Checks Sent to Late Grandmother

A Rochester woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $121,000 in state pension checks that were sent to her deceased grandmother, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley, and Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter announced today. The defendant, Elona Roberts, was arrested in June.

DiNapoli Urges New Yorkers To Spend Holiday Gift Cards

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is urging New Yorkers to keep track of gift cards received during the holidays. When gift cards aren’t used for five years, their balances may be turned over by retailers to the Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF). In 2024, the office recovered over $21 million from gift cards, more than three times the amount received in 2014 ($5.8 million). New Yorkers are encouraged to spend holiday gift cards early this new year and remember to check for unclaimed funds.

State Contract and Payment Actions in November

In November, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,798 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $4.3 billion and approved nearly 1.9 million payments worth nearly $12.3 billion. The office rejected 234 contracts and related transactions valued at $818.1 million and nearly 1,000 payments valued at nearly $11.6 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York

DiNapoli Audit Finds MTA Needs to Strengthen Extreme Weather Preparations

Three Metropolitan Transportation Authority agencies – Bridges & Tunnels (B&T), NYC Transit Department of Buses (Transit Bus), and MTA Bus Company (MTA Bus) need to improve their preparations for extreme weather as an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found a lack of maintenance and inspections of resiliency equipment, and a failure to follow weather alert procedures.

DiNapoli: Queens Woman Sentenced to Probation and Pays Full Restitution for Stealing $85,000 in NYS Pension Payments Meant for Her Deceased Father

A 38-year-old Queens woman today was sentenced to five years' probation and paid full restitution after being convicted of stealing nearly $85,000 in New York state pension payments meant for her deceased father, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced. The defendant, Deanna Hansen, pleaded guilty to felony grand larceny in June.

DiNapoli: NYC Finances Stabilizing With Drop in Costs for Asylum Seekers and Resilient Tax Revenue

New York City’s finances have stabilized amid declining costs for asylum seekers and strong revenue, largely from growth in business and property tax collections. But potential policy changes on the federal level creates uncertainty for the coming years which require fiscal preparation, according to a report on the city’s November financial plan modification released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli Releases Report on Nonprofit Industry

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released a report that showed nonprofit organizations in 2022 provided 1.3 million jobs to New Yorkers, just over 1 in 6 private sector jobs in the state. While the number of nonprofits increased nationally between 2017-2022, they declined in New York and the number of jobs also fell by 4.1%.