Huntington man collected mother's public pension after she died, Suffolk DA says
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, above, said a former Town of Huntington employee allegedly stole more than $56,000 from the New York State Retirement Fund. Credit: Barry Sloan
Authorities said he cashed in on his dead mother.
A former Town of Huntington employee allegedly stole more than $56,000 from the New York State Retirement Fund by collecting his deceased mom’s pension for more than a year, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said Thursday. He's been arrested — and charged with second-degree grand larceny.
The district attorney’s office said the mother of Moses K. Johnson, 63, of Huntington, died on April 16, 2021, but he failed to notify the state and local retirement system, or the bank where her pension payments were sent. Instead he collected — and, spent — those funds, the office said. Between April 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, authorities said Johnson collected 15 unauthorized payments totaling $56,411.37.
The stolen funds were traced by investigators from Johnson’s mother’s bank account to his own, the district attorney’s office said.
Authorities said Johnson should have known and understood the pension process, since he worked as a municipal employee for the Town of Huntington for more than 30 years, working at the town recycling center until his retirement in 2017.
“The New York State Retirement Fund is funded by the hard work of hundreds of thousands of public sector employees, and provides retirement security for over one million members,” Tierney said in a statement. “My Office will investigate and prosecute anyone who is alleged to have stolen from this vital resource.”
Authorities said Johnson was arrested Wednesday and was arraigned before Judge Anna Acquafredda in Suffolk County District Court.
Court records show Johnson pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. It was not immediately clear Thursday if Johnson is represented by counsel. Records show he is due back in court on Oct 25.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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