November 3, 2005

DILLON ANNOUNCES:

CHARGING OF HEMPSTEAD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon was joined by New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi as he announced that a third individual has been charged stemming from an ongoing investigation into the Hempstead School District.. Dr. Terry Grant, a Hempstead School Board Member and practicing Dentist is accused of committing insurance fraud in connection with his dental practice.

According to Dillon, "Dr. Terry Grant, 49, of 75 Botsford St., Hempstead was supposed to surrender this morning to the DA’s Office, but failed to appear. D.A. Investigators have been assigned to locate and arrest Dr. Grant and he has been charged by the DA’s Special Investigations Bureau. Dr. Grant has been a member of the Hempstead School Board since 2004. Prior to that he was the school district dentist. He operated under the name of Gentle Dental, which was located at 6 Main Street, Hempstead."

"It is alleged that Dr. Grant filed false insurance claims with Guardian Life Insurance Co. claiming that he had performed dental work on December 5, December 12, December 13, December 19 and December 26, 2003 for a female patient. These claims were false but resulted in payments to him of $846.00, to which he was not entitled." said Dillon.

"In addition, Dr. Grant filed a false insurance claim with the Comprehensive Benefit Group," said Dillon. "Dr. Grant claimed to have performed work on another female patient on four separate dates during October of 2003. In fact, Dr, Grant did not perform the work he claimed. That false claim resulted in payments to him of $684.00, to which he was not entitled."

"Dr. Grant has been charged with two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, which is punishable by up to four years in prison for each count," said Dillon.

"These false claims were discovered during the course of an ongoing investigation into the Hempstead School District," said Dillon. "My office has been conducting a criminal investigation, while State Comptroller Hevesi has been conducting an audit of the school district’s financial records. Together we have found cause to charge two Hempstead School District Board members and a Hempstead School District vendor with additional arrests expected as the investigation continues."

Dillon continued, "Previously arrested by the DA’s Special Investigations Bureau during the course of the Hempstead School District investigation were Thomas Parsley for Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree and a vendor John Finn of DADS are Doing Something Inc., who was indicted on charges of bribing Thomas Parsley and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Those charges are pending and our investigation continues."

"I thank Alan Hevesi, the New York State Comptroller, for his assistance with this investigation," said Dillon. "The coordination of resources between our offices has been very helpful and beneficial for the taxpayers of Nassau County. By working with Louis Hernandez, Director of Investigations for the Comptroller, we are not duplicating efforts, which saves millions in taxpayer dollars and helps us in our quest to eradicate all public corruption."

"While the charging of one more Hempstead school board member is for activities outside of his school board responsibilities, it is another blow to a district attempting to reform a dysfunctional system. Hempstead children continue to pay a terrible price for the poor decisions of board members," said New York State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. "My office will continue to partner with District Attorney Dillon as we work together to root out corruption and hold individuals accountable for wrongdoing."

"If anyone has additional information, I invite them to contact my Special Investigations Bureau at (516) 571-2100," said Dillon.

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