NEW YORK – A 58-year-old man who used to work as a treasurer in City College of New York, (CCNY), was accused of stealing more than 900 checks from students, according to the prosecution.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced Tuesday that Hartsdale’s Joseph Boselli was charged with grand theft and scheme to defraud. This after Boselli allegedly pocketed nearly $ 500,000 in scholarships and other financial awards that were intended for some 700 students from 2012 to 2019.
According to the criminal complaint, Boselli began working at CCNY in October 2011 and his alleged scheme began in August 2012. The checks he is accused of stealing from students ranged from about $ 4 to about $ 3,318.
When several students contacted the treasurer and asked about the status of the money owed to them, Boselli told them that an investigation was underway into their missing checks, according to the complaint. Provided at least two of those students with another check from the City College Fund, a non-profit organization that no longer exists and that provided financial rewards to students.
On many of the original checks, Boselli allegedly forged the students’ signatures and some of the checks were written “payment to the order of Joseph Boselli.”
Prosecutors said Boselli allegedly deposited the stolen checks into his personal bank accounts through an ATM and used that money for flights to San Francisco, Jacksonville, Florida and Italy. She also spent it at hotels in Aruba and Milan and bought luxury items and jewelry at Gucci, Luxury Goods Italia SPA, and Blue Nile LLC.
“Many New Yorkers who take advantage of world-class public education on their doorstep still face enormous financial burdens thanks to the high cost of living here,” District Attorney Vance said in a statement. “The last thing students and their families need to worry about is college employees stealing money that is rightfully owed to them.”
It is unclear whether Boselli has obtained a representative who can speak about the charges on his behalf.
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