Home Albany Press Releases 2010 Police Officer Convicted in Scheme to Obtain Benefits by Falsely Claiming He was Assaulted While Working
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Police Officer Convicted in Scheme to Obtain Benefits by Falsely Claiming He was Assaulted While Working

U.S. Attorney's Office November 05, 2010
  • Northern District of New York (315) 448-0672

Richard S. Hartunian, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, announced today that Matthew C. Romano, 33, was convicted in federal court in Binghamton, New York on November 4, 2010, of 17 counts of mail fraud after a two-and-a-half week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. The convictions relate to Romano’s claim that he was assaulted by two unknown assailants in Calvary Cemetery while working as a police officer for the Village of Johnson City on December 30, 2006. Each conviction provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on September 2, 2009, charged Romano with 17 counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1341. The indictment alleged that from on or about December 30, 2006, up to the time of the indictment, Romano devised a scheme to defraud the Village of Johnson City, the Public Employees Risk Management Association, Inc. (PERMA), and the New York State Retirement System of salary and benefits by falsely claiming that he was assaulted and injured by two unknown individuals on December 30, 2006, while working as a police officer. The indictment further alleges that no such assault took place, and that Romano inflicted the injuries upon himself. The mailings set forth in each count of the indictment were alleged to have been made or caused to have been made for the purpose of executing the scheme. The defendant was released in his own recognizance by Judge McAvoy after his conviction. Sentencing has been by the Court for March 4, 2011 in Binghamton, New York.

The investigation of this case was conducted by members of the Johnson City Police Department, New York State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Binghamton Police Bureau, Broome County Sheriff’s Office, Endicott Police Department, Vestal Police Department, and the New York State Insurance Department Frauds Bureau. The case was prosecuted out of the Binghamton Office by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Dooley. Additional inquiries can be directed to AUSA Dooley at (607) 773-2887.

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