FORMER YONKERS DPW WORKER SENTENCED

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Denise Dunham (DOB 10/09/50) of 14 Hemlock Shores-Lakeview Drive, Danbury, Connecticut was sentenced today to five years shock probation – thirty days in the County Jail and the remainder on probation - on her conviction after trial on all ten counts of an indictment charging her with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony and seven counts of Falsifying Business Records, in the First Degree, class "E" Felonies and one count of Official Misconduct, a class “A” Misdemeanor.

Additionally, the defendant was also sentenced to the maximum fine allowable on each of the top two counts, $5,000, for a total of $10,000.

The indictment charged her, under counts one and two, of aiding abetting and acting in concert with Anthony Manzo and Ernest Anderton in stealing Yonkers Department of Public Works, Water Department overtime funds.

Anthony Manzo (DOB 6/14/47) of 3 Dorett Drive, Wappingers Falls, New York plead guilty in January, 2008 to one count of Official Misconduct.

Ernest Anderton (DOB 12/14/42) of 60 Belknop Avenue, Yonkers, New York, plead guilty in January, 2008 to one count of Official Misconduct.

All three are former City of Yonkers Department of Public Works employees, who stole more than $39,000 in unearned overtime between January, 2004 and May, 2005.

They were each arrested after a fourteen month criminal investigation conducted by the Public Integrity Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Inspector General for the City of Yonkers.

Manzo and Anderton, employees in the Water Bureau of the City of Yonkers Department of Public Works, were originally charged with each receiving in excess of 260 hours of unearned overtime between January 1, 2005 and April 29, 2005. 

A further investigation into overtime payments in years prior to 2005 revealed that in 2004, both Anderton and Manzo received several thousand dollars of additional unearned overtime during that year as well.

Dunham was a secretary/payroll clerk for the Yonkers Water Bureau and her responsibilities included tabulating regular pay and overtime based on forms kept and maintained by her and also provided to her by employees working in that department.

Dunham falsified overtime records to enable Manzo and Anderton, who were eligible for retirement, to receive the unearned overtime pay.

Anderton and Manzo retired from the Department of Public Works in the summer of 2005.

Dunham was suspended and then subsequently fired by the City of Yonkers for her role in the thefts.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Conway, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Berit Hayes-Huseby of the Public Integrity Bureau prosecuted the case.

Denise Dunham