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May 2, 2014 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Jahmai Samuel (DOB 12/06/85) of 1829 Yates Ave., Bronx, New York was sentenced today to 1 to 3 years in prison on his guilty plea to:

  • one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class "C" Felony.

In addition a Judgment and Order of Restitution in the amount of $76,765 was imposed by the Court.

Principal co-conspirators Marcus Harris (DOB 03/10/84) of 5 Monroe St., Mount Vernon, New York was sentenced on March 6, 2014 to five years probation on his guilty plea to:

  • one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony.

In addition, he repaid $7,325 in restitution at sentencing.

Alessia Velez, (DOB 02/02/85) of 101-32 110th Ave., Richmond Hill, New York was sentenced on May 1 to five years probation on her guilty plea to:

  • one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony.

In addition she paid $15,000 in restitution at sentencing and will repay the remainder of $29,445 over her probation term.

These defendants are the principal defendants in an investigation resulting in charges against an additional twelve individuals.

These defendants were all former employees of the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation that operates the parking facility.

Over a three year period from Aug. 13, 2009 to June 29, 2012, these defendants were involved in a scheme that involved employees at the parking lot selling full year, half year, or quarterly parking permits to unsuspecting customers, who were told to write the check out to a "third party", rather than Westchester County.

Customers were told that these "third parties" had lost their jobs, or moved and no longer needed their parking space and were trying to recoup a portion of their parking permit fee. The names that the customers were induced to write on the checks were usually one of the defendants or a friend/family member.

The total theft includes the approximately $10,000 in cash Samuel took in Metro-North Railroad proceeds that were ostensibly remitted by the County to Metro-North that the New York City Transit MetroCard Fraud Unit was able to document.

The scheme came to light when Jahmai Samuel was the victim of a gun shot robbery on June 29, 2012, in the Bronx. When the NYPD questioned Samuel about why he was in possession of $3,000 cash, he maintained that the money was customer parking cash receipts from his job which "he forgot to take to the bank after work."

The New York City shooting proved to be the catalyst for this investigation in that it prompted questions as to how an employee of the Westchester County Department of Parks came in to position of that much cash representing parking proceeds.

The investigation was conducted by the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and also by the New York City Transit MetroCard Fraud Unit.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Conway, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau prosecuted the cases.

 

Jahmai Samuel

Jahmai Samuel