Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the sentencing of the former City of Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari for abusing his position as a public official to engage in a scheme that defrauded the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply of more than $300,000 to pay the personal legal expenses of the former Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and a public relations firm.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Warren County District Attorney Jason Carusone announced today that David Decker, former director of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, was sentenced today in Warren County court to 8-24 years in prison after a jury convicted him of 6 felonies, including grand larceny in the second degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, related to his diversion of federal and state grant funds meant to improve the area surrounding Lake George.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released a statement today after the arrest of Kristina Hand, former treasurer of the Morris Central School District in Otsego County, following a joint investigation by his office, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Police.

The New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) today announced employer contribution rates for the State Fiscal Year 2021-22 will increase from 14.6 percent to 16.2 percent of payroll for the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and from 24.4 percent to 28.3 percent of payroll for the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS).

NYSLRS is made up of these two systems, which pay service and disability retirement benefits to public employees and death benefits to their survivors.

Limited course offerings and lack of access to advisors may be keeping students at the City University of New York (CUNY) from graduating within four years, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released the following statement in response to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's announcement of its plans for severe cuts and other measures, if it does not receive needed federal assistance:

In July, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,308 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $6.5 billion and approved nearly 27.3 million payments worth more than $19.9 billion. The office rejected 140 contracts and related transactions valued at $120 million and more than 24,400 payments valued at more than $37.7 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. Information on these contracts and payments is available at www.openbooknewyork.com.

Legislation introduced at the request of the State Comptroller that will help ease the financial difficulties facing local governments and school districts and give them greater fiscal flexibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been signed into law, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today.