Charity head charged in scheme to defraud vendors, Suffolk DA says

The president of a Queens autism charity faces allegations he defrauded vendors by writing them bad checks for thousands of dollars, including to a Manorville golf course and Adventureland amusement park in Farmingdale, Suffolk prosecutors said.

Gregory Vasicek, 59, was charged with three counts of felony grand larceny, a scheme to defraud, misdemeanor theft of services, and petty larceny, according to news release Wednesday from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Vasicek is the president of the Queens nonprofit, Play4Autism, which provides team sports programs for children with autism.

He was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Central Islip on an appearance ticket and released on his own recognizance. Information on an attorney for Vasicek was not immediately available.

In a brief interview late Wednesday, Vasicek said that vendors went unpaid for events after he was hospitalized with a stroke from May to August. Vasicek said he was on life support for two weeks before being transferred to a rehabilitation center with a blood clot.

“Apparently people couldn’t get in touch with me and we plan to make restitution and pay everyone back,” Vasicek said. “I didn’t know there was a warrant issued for me until I received an appearance ticket and went to court today.”

Prosecutors said Vasicek promised to pay thousands to vendors but never did. Between April 21 and May 2 of this year, he wrote numerous checks from the charity’s bank account, while knowing there were insufficient funds, according to a criminal complaint.

“This defendant allegedly took advantage of the goodwill and generosity of Suffolk County residents to benefit himself,” District Attorney Ray Tierney said. “My office is committed to prosecuting all those who steal, but thefts committed under the guise of a charity to benefit autistic children are particularly loathsome.”

Vasicek said the events at Adventureland and the Rock Hill Golf Club in Manorville were held for donors and their families who had contributed to the foundation. He said the vendor checks were written based on grant funding from a private company that was less than what the charity anticipated.

“We were hoping the checks would be covered and there was supposed to be grant money coming in that changes every year,” he said.

Prosecutors also charged Vasicek with fraudulently receiving hundreds of dollars in registration fees from donors for a golf outing planned at the Manorville golf course Oct. 19. Prosecutors said the golf tournament had never been scheduled.

Vasicek said he had held three prior events at the golf course and postponed the Oct. 19 tournament after he was released from the hospital in August. He said he planned to make reimbursements.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.