Suffolk Reporter

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced that Moses K. Johnson, 63, of Huntington, has pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree. Johnson, a former employee of the Town of Huntington, admitted to stealing more than $56,000 from his deceased mother’s public pension payments following her death in April 2021.

“The defendant’s actions were not only illegal but morally reprehensible, stealing from his own deceased mother’s pension funds,” stated District Attorney Tierney. “This case highlights the importance of our ongoing collaboration with the State Comptroller’s Office in rooting out fraud and abuse. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the integrity of our pension systems and bring those who attempt to defraud them to justice.”

“Mr. Johnson callously exploited his mother’s death to line his own pockets,” said State Comptroller DiNapoli. “I thank Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney for his partnership in bringing him to justice. My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies across the state and country to protect the New York State pension system from fraud.”

The arrest followed a joint investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney and the Office of the New York State Comptroller.

According to court documents and Johnson's admissions during his plea allocution, after his mother's death on April 16, 2021, he failed to notify either her bank or the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLERS). Instead, he continued collecting and spending her pension payments.

Between April 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, Johnson received a total of 15 unauthorized payments amounting to $56,411. The stolen funds were traced from his mother’s bank account into his own account.

Johnson had worked for over 30 years at the Town of Huntington's recycling center until retiring in 2017. As a member of the state retirement system himself, he was aware that his mother's pension payments should have ceased upon her death.

On October 11, 2023, investigators from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office arrested Johnson.

On September 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski who ordered him to pay restitution totaling $56,411. Johnson is scheduled for a follow-up court appearance on December 10, 2024.

Assistant District Attorney Amanda Scheier of the Public Corruption Bureau is prosecuting this case.

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