April 25, 2021 GMT
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A Department of Motor Vehicles employee in Albany has been arrested for charging extra fees as a “side hustle” and accessing personal information of estranged family members, authorities said.
Wanda Turner, 53, of Troy, was arraigned on charges of felony computer trespass and misdemeanor official misconduct, New York state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro announced Friday.
Tagliafierro said Turner, a DMV employee for 20 years, charged people $40 to $50 on top of legitimate DMV fees to provide documents they requested and kept the extra money for herself.
Investigators found that Turner also gained access to records of estranged family members and an ex-boyfriend to obtain addresses and other personal information in violation of the Drivers Privacy Protection Act and DMV policies, the inspector general said.
DMV worker accused of illegally accessing records in side hustle timesunion.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesunion.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hudson River-Black River official overpaid after retirement, inspector general finds | The Daily Gazette
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CAPITAL REGION The Hudson River-Black River Regulating District overpaid its former chief financial officer after his retirement, a report from state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro said on Thursday.
The report concluded that Richard Ferrara received more than $50,000 in wrongful retirement benefits when he left in October 2019, and that the regulating district took no action to address the mistaken payout. The regulating district has acknowledged the error and an official there said it first alerted the inspector general’s office to the discrepancy.
The HRBRRD maintains reservoirs and regulates water flow in two watersheds in the Adirondacks, including the upper Hudson River. It manages and maintains the Great Sacandaga Lake reservoir in Fulton and Saratoga counties, which controls the Sacandaga River’s flow into the Hudson, as well as the Black River
The state inspector general also investigated the allegations.
In a statement issued Monday, Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro said investigators reviewed thousands of documents and listened to “audio of conversations between individuals who were involved in trying to conceal the replacement of bolts.”
The inspector general shared its findings with the attorney general’s office but said it was legally prohibited from disclosing details of its probe.
Times Union editor Casey Seiler defended the news outlet s reporting and said the Thruway Authority and others were given an opportunity to respond before the story was published.
“The Times Union stands by its reporting, which the Thruway Authority is mischaracterizing: At no point does our story suggest the Thruway Authority was involved in the alleged cover-up by employees of Tappan Zee Constructors, Seiler said.