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Sept. 26, 2013 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that a year long investigation by the Westchester County Police and District Attorneys Public Integrity Bureau into a scheme to defraud Westchester County out of tens of thousands of dollars in parking revenue and MetroCard sales from the Westchester County Center parking lot located at 198 Central Park Avenue in the City of White Plains has resulted in the indictment today of three former County employees.

Jahmai Samuel (DOB 12/06/85) of 1829 Yates Avenue, Bronx, New York was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with:

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

Marcus Harris (DOB 03/10/84) of 5 Monroe Street, Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with:

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

Alessia Velez, (DOB 02/02/85) of 101-32 110th Avenue, Richmond Hill, New York was arraigned today on an indictment charging her with:

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

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

In addition, Sha'Quay Cheeseboro-Dennis (DOB 06/22/90) of 150 South 7th Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York was charged on Aug. 27 by Felony Complaint with:

  • one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class "E" Felony.

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

The remaining eleven defendants are friends, girlfriends, relatives or associates of the employees.

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.

In addition to the amounts deposited directly into their own bank accounts, these defendants used the bank accounts of other individuals to deposit additional stolen monies:

  • Jennifer Samuel, Jahmai's sister, deposited $15,215 of stolen currency, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony,
  • Desrine Butler, Jahmai's his step mother, deposited $11,015 of stolen currency, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony,
  • Annette Timothy, Jahmai's aunt, deposited $20,190 of stolen currency, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony,
  • Arthur Cowans and Hodnett Morrison, Jahmai's friends, deposited $3,255 and $2,085 respectively of stolen currency, Cowans charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony, and Morrison charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class "E" Felony,

Additional defendants, all Harris' friends, in the scheme are:

  • Wayne Rutty, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony for stealing $7,325,
  • Bejesca Matthew, Harris' former girlfriend, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony for stealing $4,155,
  • Michaele Fortunat, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony, for stealing $6,895,
  • Denisha Dennis, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class "E" Felony, for stealing $2,170,
  • Antwon Pinney, charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" Felony, for stealing $3,255.

The total larceny from all fourteen defendants is more than $195,000.

Their cases are pending.

The scheme came to light last summer when Jahmai Samuel was the victim of a gun shot robbery on June 29, 2012, in the Bronx. When the NYPD questioned Samuels 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 possession of that much cash representing parking proceeds.

"This type of criminal conduct serves only to erode the public's trust and confidence in its government," said District Attorney Janet DiFiore. "Alert policing by the NYPD and follow up detective work by the Westchester County Police uncovered the extent and scope of the ongoing larceny. What makes this scheme all the more egregious is that these defendants thought that they could get away with their crime, because they were stealing from some nameless, faceless entity with limitless financial resources; when in actuality, they were defrauding every taxpayer of Westchester County."

Bail for Samuel was continued at $5,000 cash or bond. Bail for Harris was continued at $5,000 cash or bond. Velez was released on her own recognizance. Their next court date is Dec. 12, 2013.

Cheeseboro-Dennis was released on her own recognizance. Her next court date is Oct. 1, 2013 in White Plains City Court.

Samuel faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years in state prison.

Harris and Velez face a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison.

Cheeseboro-Dennis faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison.

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

 

Jahmai Samuel Marcus Harris

Alessia Velez

Jahmai Samuel Marcus Harris Alessia Velez

 

In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.