Morning Read: Former ComLinks CEO admits grand larceny
The former head of ComLinks — the Malone-based regional non-profit — has admitted to misspending appxorimatly $1,500, according to a report in today’s Plattsburgh Press-Republican.
Under a plea agreement, Reich will avoid jail time. In an interview with the newspaper, she described the criminal proceeding as harrowing
“I’m crushed that after 20 years of service and helping people ….” Her voice was lost as she began to cry. “I did good work. People forget that. I did a good job.”
Defense attorney Andrew Safranco stepped forward to her aid.
“This has been a witch hunt from the onset,” he said. “She did a lot of good for Franklin County and was fired from her job and was facing jail. She’s leaving the county and will take steps to get on with her life.”
Reich told the Press-Republican that she plans to relocate to Montana.
Tags: criminal justice
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$1,500?
There are people on Wall Street who have stolen 10 times that or even 100 times that with no repercussions. Where is the fairness in this country?
“Where is the fairness in this country?”
You could ask the same about Martha Stewart.
The part of the story that did not get reported: “Rrich 64, was accused last fall in a State Comptroller’s Office audit of using nearly $100.000 in ComLinks grant funding to finance a lavish lifestyle that included golf-course memberships, spa treatments, household appliances and massages.”
Knuckle: it’s a variation on Stalin’s notorious comment, “One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.”
The amount wasted on bank bailouts is in the trillions (if you count the secret Fed program that was recently revealed). Over a trillion on our various wars of aggression abroad. But if someone uses food stamps to buy a $1 twinkie at the supermarket, you can be sure there will be outraged letters to the newspaper.
Larry, sounds like par for the course on Wall Street. Why aren’t there hundreds or thousands of arrests on Wall Street?
She ruined a good agency and used money meant for the poor and vulnerable to enrich her own life. Does it rise to the level of our national scandals on wall street? No I don’t think so, it is mainly just pathetic and the fact that she still shows no remorse is concerning. It is not about the money it is about fraud and the public trust. What it really hurts however is the many other honest not for profits that have integrity that people now trust just a little less who are facing a daunting task of serving the poor right now. If she really cared about those she served she would have resigned a decade ago, but ego is a tough thing.
“What it really hurts however is the many other honest not for profits that have integrity that people now trust just a little less who are facing a daunting task of serving the poor right now.”
In spite of all the scandals on Wall Street and the fact that everyone knows that Wall Street executives get enormous bonuses even when they tank their business or get golden parachutes instead of being fired and going to jail when they trash the economy, people still invest in Wall Street. If anyone decides they wont give to a non-profit over something like this it is just their excuse to not do what they already weren’t going to do.
Not that I disagree with your premise. Nor do I think criminal behavior shouldn’t be punished. All I know about this particular situation is what I read here, but if we are going to start making examples of people let’s start with the criminals who steal the most.
And what about war crimes? What about national leaders who perpetrate a fraud that ends up with our nation in a war in which thousands of our military are killed, tens of thousands maimed physically, mentally or both. A war which caused untold billions worth of destruction and national debt. A war which caused the deaths of probably hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Where are the war crimes trials?
There are none. Instead they want to prosecute Bradley Manning.
But if we did that we would never prosecute anyone. Go to any of our county jails right now and you have guys in there that did less than Ms. Reich and are sitting in jail. She is not doing any jail time at all, she is saying she did nothing wrong and moving to Montana. Actually the lack of prosecution of this women would fall into line with the unjust nature in general of our justice system.
Well, sure. But if you have a murderer, a thief and a jaywalker, who should you prosecute first? You seem to be willing to go after the thief because they’re worse than the jaywalker. Meanwhile the murderer is going scott-free because they’re connected.
(Hint: Substitute Wall Street banksters for the murderer, and Ms. Reich for the thief.)
In our criminal justice system you prosecute who you can; first. Our system is inherently unjust, it is why poor people go to jail and wealthy people move to Montana with a slap on the wrist. My point is the very minor prosecution of this women is an example of that sort of unjust system.
Of course we should prosecute all crimes as the law is written; it is part of our country. But that is not how things pan out.
I do think stealing from poor people as someone who puts themselves out there as helping poor people is pretty bad though.