August 31, 2005

DILLON ANNOUNCES:

2ND ARREST IN CONTINUING INVESTIGATION OF NASSAU COUNTY SEASONAL WORKERS

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced today the arrest of Robert Cataldo, 35, of 65-41 Saunders Street, Rego Park, for defrauding the taxpayers of Nassau County. This is the second arrest as a result of an ongoing investigation into seasonal county workers employed in the Department of Parks and other Nassau County Departments.

According to Dillon, "Robert Cataldo was hired by Nassau County effective September 2, 2003. Although designated a ‘clerk seasonal,’ Cataldo was hired for a period not to exceed two (2) years at the pay rate of $25.50/hour. Moreover, while designated on paper to the Office of Management and Budget, Cataldo was actually hired to work with then Deputy County Executive Michael Klein in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, performing such tasks as implementing the recreational tracking and inspection programs."

"As a ‘clerk seasonal,’ Cataldo was only entitled to be paid for the time that he actually performed work, labor and services for Nassau County," said Dillon. "He was not entitled to be paid for vacation, sick, and personal leave days. Nevertheless, Cataldo filed his time sheet with the Nassau County Department of Human Resources for the pay period ending July 9, 2004, in which he falsely stated that he had performed work, labor and services for Nassau County on June 28th, 29th and 30th and July 1st, 2nd and 6th, 2004. In fact, Cataldo was on vacation in Italy on those days. As a result, Cataldo was paid approximately $1,400 which he wasn’t entitled to receive. It is the larceny of those funds that underlies the charged crime."

Cataldo has been charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E Felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. He will be arraigned later today in First District Court in Hempstead.

"Our investigation into this matter and related matters is continuing," said Dillon. "This is our second arrest as a result of an ongoing investigation into seasonal county workers employed in the Department of Parks and other Nassau County Departments. On August 10, 2005, my office arrested Shomwa Shamapande, 32, of 3161 Broadway, New York. Shamapande was a ‘clerk seasonal’ who continued to file time sheets for pay records ending March 17 through May 26, 2005, in which he falsely stated that he had performed work, labor and services for Nassau County during those pay periods. As a result, Shamapande was paid approximately $12,000 which he was not entitled to receive."

Anyone with additional information can contact the DA’s Special Investigation Bureau at (516) 571-2100.

"As I have stated previously, this investigation will continue until I am confident that we have eradicated this violation of the public trust," Dillon concluded.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.