ALBANY -- A former Rome Police officer has plead guilty to "double dipping" into the state's retirement system.
Thomas C. Hubal is expected to serve six months in jail, five years probation, and must repay more than $88,000 he stole from the State and Local Retirement System.
In a report released by state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, investigators from his office and the Oneida County District Attorney's Office found Hubal was working for the Rome City School District without having obtained the proper waiver and without notifying the Comptroller's office he would be returning to public employment.
Hubal, who served as the district's head of security, collected benefits from the state retirement system and the school district over a nine-year period. Investigators also found evidence suggesting district officials allowed Hubal to collect $20,000 over an eight year period for travel and other expenses without handing in the proper paperwork. The comptroller's office says it began its investigation after being tipped off.
CNY Central has placed a phone call to the Rome School District for a comment on the comptroller's report. We are told the person who is allowed to speak on the person's behalf is out of the office until next week.
According to state law, a retiree receiving a public pension may temporarily return to work for a public entity without a reduction in existing retirement benefits if all legal requirements are met. Investigators say Hubal did not meet those requirements.
According to the comptroller's office, this is the first conviction of a retiree illegally receiving payments from the state retirement system while working for another public employer. In a press release DiNapoli says, "Hopefully this case will send a message that this type of abuse of taxpayers' money will not be tolerated. I look forward to continuing our working relationship with the Comptroller's office."
You can report allegations of fraud, corruption and abuse of taxpayer money by calling the Comptroller's toll-free fraud hotline at 1-888-672-4555 or filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.state.ny.us
