Updated: 9:08 AM EDT April 27, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. A former Child Protective Services worker who admitted sharing information from county records with a friend will not see any jail time.
State Supreme Court Judge Christopher Burns sentenced 31-year-old Nicole Wichlacz of Buffalo to a Conditional Discharge and ordered her to pay a $500 fine.
Wichlacz was employed as a clerk typist at the time and divulged information multiple times between July and December of 2019. It is against the law for any employee to take action on a CPS case involving a family member or friend for their own personal financial interest.
She pleaded guilty in February to one count, as charged, of official misconduct.
DA warns of white collar crime prosecution related to covid relief
Posted at 5:45 PM, Feb 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-16 17:45:33-05
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) â Tuesday, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced three cases his office prosecuted that he considers âwhite collar crimeâ.
But, he wanted to make clear he plans to go after more individuals, especially those who aimed to take advantage of vulnerable populations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The District Attorneyâs Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit prosecuted three women for crimes related to their jobs.
All three defendants appeared in court Tuesday morning before State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns, and all three pleaded guilty.
WBFO s Tom Dinki reports.
“We have individuals who are taking care of elderly, taking care of people who are vulnerable, and they are obviously misusing their authority and their position,” Flynn said. “And, obviously, I want the public to know that when I become aware of this, we are going to bring these elderly and vulnerable people justice, and pursue everyone and anyone who is stealing from older people.”
One of the defendants is a former Erie County employee. Tamara Ebo, who was a case worker for the Department of Social Services’ adult protective services until she was fired in November, allegedly stole over $42,000 in Social Security benefits from 14 different clients, most of whom were elderly.