FORMER CITY CORRECTION DEPARTMENT CHIEF ANTHONY SERRA CHARGED WITH STEALING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM GOVERNOR GEORGE PATAKI’S 2002 RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson, and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn, announced today that new charges of grand larceny and conflicts of interest have been filed against Anthony Serra, former high ranking chief at the City Jail on Rikers Island.

A Bronx grand jury has returned a 146 count indictment charging Serra with one count of Grand larceny in the 2nd degree, a Class C felony offense, and 145 counts of Violating the Conflicts of Interest Law, a Class A misdemeanor offense. If convicted, Serra would be facing a maximum sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment on the grand larceny charge, and up to a year in jail on the conflict of interest charges. Serra could also be fined as much as $5,000 on each of the 145 conflict of interest counts. These charges involve illegal activities that occurred between June 1, 2002 and September 30, 2002.

District Attorney Johnson said: “The bottom line of these allegations is that the New York City Department of Correction employees and resources were improperly used for political purposes. Anthony Serra misused his position at DOC as well as his time on the clock. His actions caused numerous subordinates to take days off from work, which in turn placed a strain on manpower at Rikers Island. The Pataki campaign paid out thousands of dollars for a bogus expense, for a service that it could have received for free. Clearly the major beneficiary of this arrangement was Anthony Serra.”

It is alleged that Serra stole more than $50,000 from political campaign committees that were organized on behalf of New York State Governor George Pataki’s re-election in 2002. The indictment also alleges that Serra violated the conflict of interests law in that he “entered into a business and financial relationship with Friends of Pataki Committees and received payment for performing activities in support of George Pataki’s political campaigns for the Independence Party and the Conservative Party nominations for Governor of the State of New York, by designing, organizing or executing a poll watching operation, during times when he was required to perform services for the City of New York in his position as Chief of the Bureau of Management and Planning of the New York City Department of Correction.”

Serra has been charged with improperly using his influence to recruit subordinates ranging from wardens, assistant deputy wardens, captains, correction officers and civilian employees of the Department of Correction, to work as “volunteers” in a poll watching operation on behalf of Governor Pataki’s primary election campaigns to win the Conservative Party and Independence Party nominations for governor.

The Conflicts of Interest Law prohibits a New York City employee from asking a subordinate to do political work; work from which the official will benefit either financially or otherwise; or work that is not related to official responsibilities.

It is alleged that Serra received nearly $200,000 from the Friends of Pataki Committees to cover expenses for the poll watching operation that was set up for Primary Day on September 10, 2002. The expenses included the rental of some one hundred cars that were used to drive poll watchers to election sites on primary day on September 10, 2002. Approximately $62,500 was supposed to be used to pay the workers recruited by Serra. However Serra, according to the investigation, had subordinates sign on as “volunteers” even though he told the various Pataki campaign committees that they were being paid $100 apiece for their services. Serra allegedly kept that money for his personal use.

This new indictment was the result of an ongoing joint investigation by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation, which resulted in two other indictments charging Serra with grand larceny; The first indictment was handed down in February 2003 and the second in July 2003. Serra is still awaiting trial on those charges which involved his alleged use of Department of Correction equipment and workers, who were on duty at the time, to make repairs and maintain the grounds at his home in Mahopac, New York. Serra also allegedly used City employees to run errands for his family.

Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Donald Levin of the Investigations Division is prosecuting the cases against Serra in the indictments of March and July of 2003. The case involving this most recent indictment is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Samuel Ramer of the Rackets Bureau.

District Attorney Johnson and Commissioner Hearn thanked members of the Bronx DA’s Investigations Division, Inspector General Michael Caruso of DOI’s Office of Inspector General for the Department of Correction and members of his staff for their hard work and dedication.