Yonkers Man Indicted for Fraud Against Chappaqua Central School District

Defendant: Ricardo Jimenez (DOB: 07/15/64)


Oct. 26, 2020 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced that Ricardo Jimenez of Yonkers has been indicted on charges related to a bribery, kickback and money laundering scheme aimed at defrauding the Chappaqua Central School District. Jimenez was an employee of Johnson Controls, Inc., a vendor to the school district.

He was arraigned in Westchester County Court before Judge George Fufidio on the following charges:

  • Corrupting the Government in the First Degree, a class B felony
  • Bribery in the Second Degree, a class C felony
  • Rewarding Official Misconduct in the Second Degree, a class E felony
  • Two counts of Money Laundering in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony

After the hearing, Jimenez was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to return to court Nov. 18, 2020.

Background
The indictment alleges that between November 2014 and August 2017, Ricardo Jimenez and an employee of the Chappaqua Central School District (CCSD) conspired together in a corrupt scheme to award CCSD work projects to Jimenez’s own company, RJ Summit Services, Inc. As part of the scheme, Jimenez fraudulently billed CCSD for work actually performed by his co-defendant Jorge Barreiros and other CCSD staff members directed by Barreiros. In turn, Barreiros insured CCSD work was awarded to RJ Summit and approved Jimenez’s invoices. Then, when CCSD paid the bills, Jimenez kicked back portions of the CCSD payments to Barreiros, by paying him in cash and checks made out from another company. In total, Jimenez wrongfully obtained over $180,000 from CCSD.

Co-defendant Jorge Barreiros of Cortlandt Manor pleaded guilty in December to Corrupting the Government in the Second Degree, a class C felony, and Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree, a class D felony. His sentence is still pending.

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office Investigations Division launched its investigation into this scheme after being contacted by both CCSD and Johnson Controls, Inc.
Assistant District Attorney Brian Fitzgerald, Deputy Bureau Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case.

In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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