BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF USING FORGED CREDENTIALS TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT AS A MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS – DEFENDANT FACING UP TO 4 YEARS IN PRISON

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 39 year old man who had been imprisoned for grand larceny will be going back to prison on new charges after pleading guilty to criminal possession of forged instruments.

Daniel Rodriguez, 39, pled guilty today to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2nd degree, a Class D felony offense punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 4 years imprisonment. State Supreme Court Justice John Byrne set sentencing for Tuesday April 17, 2007 in Part A. At that time Rodriguez will also be sentenced on an earlier guilty plea to another count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2nd degree. The earlier plea was entered on March 14, 2007. The judge has indicated that Rodriguez will be sentenced to 2 to 4 years imprisonment on each count and that the terms will run concurrent. Rodriguez is being sentenced as a predicate offender in light of a 1998 grand larceny conviction for which he was sentenced to a term of 2 to 4 years imprisonment. Rodriguez was paroled to the custody of another state in July 1999. The two guilty pleas for which the defendant will be sentenced are the result of two independent investigations by the NYPD Major Case Squad and the New York City Department of Investigation.

Rodriguez admitted in court today that he used a forged letter from the New York State Education Department in order to obtain employment as a licensed social worker with Palladia Incorporated, a not for profit organization under contract with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Rodriguez admitted that he had acted “with the intent to defraud” Palladia when he submitted the phony letter granting him a license that purportedly had been issued by the University of the State of New York Education Department, Office of the Professions.

On February 5, 2007, two weeks after he was terminated at Palladia, Rodriguez applied for employment as a licensed social worker at the Southview Healthcare Center. Rodriguez admitted on March 14, 2007 that he also had “acted to defraud” the Soundview Healthcare Network when he submitted a forged document from the University of the State of New York Education Department which designated the defendant as a Licensed Master Social Worker. He was arrested by detectives assigned to the NYPD Major Case Squad while working at Soundview on February 28, 2007.

Irregularities in one of the paper trails was uncovered by the Administration for Children’s Services which alerted the New York City Department of Investigation about concerns regarding the defendant’s employment as a licensed social worker at Palladia. It was discovered that not only had no license been issued by the state, but that the institution that Rodriguez claimed to have attended, had no record of him graduating and did not have a program offering a Masters Degree in Social Work. Rodriguez was employed by Palladia, Inc. as a mental health consultant from July 12, 2006 through January 12, 2007 when he was terminated.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lupo of the Arson/Auto/Economic Fraud Bureau.