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NEWS from the Office of the New York State Comptroller
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State Comptroller DiNapoli Statement on the Governor's 2025 State of the State Address

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released the following statement today regarding Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State Address:

"Today, Gov. Hochul outlined her new priorities as the state prepares for a different federal landscape and tries to help New Yorkers address affordability and improve quality of life in our state.

DiNapoli: More Older Adults Calling NYC Home Than Ever Before, Comptroller's Report Finds

New York City’s 65 and older population grew by nearly half a million seniors in the last two decades, an increase of 53%, according to a new report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Much of the growth was led by Asian, Hispanic and Black seniors calling the city home, along with more seniors born outside the U.S. With a record high senior population, the Comptroller warns city funding must keep pace with demand to support critical services for older adults in the future.

DiNapoli and DA Carney: Owner of Medical Transport Company Pleads Guilty to Medicaid Fraud

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert M. Carney, and Schenectady County Sheriff Dominic Dagostino announced the guilty plea of Muhammad Adnan Saeed, owner of Sublime Medical Transportation, for stealing over $700,000 from the state’s Medicaid program. Saeed inflated Medicaid bills by falsely claiming that group rides were separate, individual rides in order to unlawfully receive mileage payments for each individual in the group.

DiNapoli: Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $121,000 in Pension Checks Sent to Late Grandmother

A Rochester woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $121,000 in state pension checks that were sent to her deceased grandmother, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley, and Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter announced today. The defendant, Elona Roberts, was arrested in June.

DiNapoli Urges New Yorkers To Spend Holiday Gift Cards

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is urging New Yorkers to keep track of gift cards received during the holidays. When gift cards aren’t used for five years, their balances may be turned over by retailers to the Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF). In 2024, the office recovered over $21 million from gift cards, more than three times the amount received in 2014 ($5.8 million). New Yorkers are encouraged to spend holiday gift cards early this new year and remember to check for unclaimed funds.

State Contract and Payment Actions in November

In November, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,798 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $4.3 billion and approved nearly 1.9 million payments worth nearly $12.3 billion. The office rejected 234 contracts and related transactions valued at $818.1 million and nearly 1,000 payments valued at nearly $11.6 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York. 

DiNapoli Audit Finds MTA Needs to Strengthen Extreme Weather Preparations

Three Metropolitan Transportation Authority agencies – Bridges & Tunnels (B&T), NYC Transit Department of Buses (Transit Bus), and MTA Bus Company (MTA Bus) need to improve their preparations for extreme weather as an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found a lack of maintenance and inspections of resiliency equipment, and a failure to follow weather alert procedures.