September 20, 2005

DILLON ANNOUNCES:

INDICTMENT & ARREST OF FORMER HEMPSTEAD SCHOOL DISTRICT VENDOR

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced today the arrest of John Finn (63, of 431 Ryan Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan), a vendor who had been doing business with the Hempstead School District, on charges of bribery and tampering with evidence. Finn, Chief Executive Officer of "DADS Are Doing Something, Inc.," based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was indicted by the Grand Jury as part of a continuing criminal investigation being conducted by Dillon’s office in cooperation with the Office of New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi.

"DADS Are Doing Something, Inc.’ was a vendor in the Hempstead School District," said Dillon. "The corporation was paid some $7,000 per month for approximately two years that it was in operation in the School District. In addition, Finn was paid by the School District for his travel and expenses. The total cost to the Hempstead School District for the DADS Program was approximately $100,000 annually. The DADS corporation was supposed to encourage and promote the involvement of male role models in the School District. The Hempstead School Board voted to discontinue the program on September 4, 2003."

According to Dillon, "The indictment charges Finn and his corporation with one count of Bribery in the Second Degree for giving money and property to a member of the Hempstead School Board, Thomas Parsley, in order to influence Parsley to vote in favor of a contract between the Hempstead School District and Finn’s corporation, ‘DADS Are Doing Something, Inc.’ Finn is charged with having given Parsley $10,000 in currency, and furniture costing $781.91, during the time period from September 3, 2003 to December 22, 2003, so that Parsley, a member of the School Board, would assist Finn in his dealings with the School District, including voting to reinstate a contract between the School District and Finn’s corporation. The DADS contract with the Hempstead School Board had been terminated as of September, 2003. The Hempstead School Board voted to reinstate the DADS Program on December 18, 2003. On December 22, 2003, Finn sent Parsley a final payment of $2,000."

"Counts three to nine charge Finn with tampering with physical evidence, in that he allegedly prepared seven false documents on February 12, 2004 to conceal from investigators the true nature of payments made to Parsley," said Dillon. "Count ten charges Finn with tampering with physical evidence in that he allegedly prepared an eighth false document on February 26, 2004 for the same purpose."

"Parsley was arrested by my office in 2004 and charged with Grand Larceny for stealing an ATM card from an employee of the School District, and using the ATM card to steal money from the accounts of that employee," Dillon continued. "That case was tried earlier this year before a jury in County Court. The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Parsley, and last week the Honorable Claire Weinberg, sentenced Parsley to serve five years probation in that case. Parsley was also arrested by my office earlier this year on the unrelated charge that he stole School District funds in 2004. That case is currently pending in District Court."

"The investigation into the Hempstead School Board is continuing and we do anticipate additional arrests," said Dillon. "We have been working with Comptroller Hevesi’s Office during the course of our criminal investigation. We have received and reviewed the Comptroller’s audit of the School Board and are using the audit with other information we have collected to determine if criminality exists."

"The people of Hempstead should be furious at the findings of our audit, released yesterday, and today's announcement of an arrest by District Attorney Dillon. Our audit showed the school board is dysfunctional. With the announcement of today's arrest of Mr. Finn, we see that at least one of its members could be bought. Immediate action must be taken to restore the public's confidence in the Hempstead schools, and to ensure a proper education in proper facilities for their children. We will continue our thorough investigation with our partners in the District Attorney's office wherever it leads. Again I think D.A. Dillon and his staff for their excellent work in rooting out corruption wherever they find it," Hevesi said.

"I would like to thank State Comptroller Alan Hevesi and his staff for their assistance and cooperation during the course of this investigation," said Dillon. "I would like to encourage any School Officials and employees who have knowledge of official misconduct in the Hempstead School District to contact my Special Investigations Bureau at 571-2100."

"I can assure those individuals who are guilty of abusing their positions at the Hempstead School District that they will be caught by my office, it is just a matter of time," said Dillon. "It is in your best interest to cooperate with my office."

"I am committed to continuing to pursue each and every allegation of criminal waste of the taxpayers money," said Dillon. "I will not rest until I am confident that we have eradicated this abuse of the public’s trust."

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