Albany NY

Source: Times Union, Albany, N.迷你倉將軍澳Y.Jan. 18--TROY -- The former head of the Troy drug rehabilitation program 820 River Street Inc. admitted stealing more than $50,000 from the nonprofit in a scheme that has shaken an organization founded by one of the region's most celebrated addiction care advocates.But unlike her co-defendant, whose arrest and conviction were trumpeted last year by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office, Dawn LaCarte was allowed to quietly plead guilty 16 months ago -- two months before authorities raided offices linked to Father Peter Young's Altamont Program.The handling of LaCarte's case -- and the attorney general's continued unwillingness to discuss it -- suggests that she may have cooperated with the investigation that later led to the grand larceny conviction of former 820 River Street's chief operating officer, Dennis Bassat.In June, Bassat admitted stealing more than $160,000 from the organization and is scheduled to be sentenced to between 20 months and 6 years in prison on Feb. 5.Bassat worked at the nonprofit agency for 25 years and was said to have been personally close to Young, who rose from a street priest in Albany's heroin-decimated South End five decades ago to found Peter Young Housing, Industries & Treatment, a network of treatment, re-entry and jobs programs with more than 100 affiliated sites across the state.Both 820 River Street and the Altamont Program fall under that umbrella.While the news release announcing Bassat's plea mentioned an accomplice who was also a manager at the facility, it didn't name the person or said the person had pleaded guilty.LaCarte's guilty plea was so hush-hush, according to a person familiar with the situation, that not even officials at 820 River Street knew about it until the Rensselaer County Probation Department contacted the organization several weeks ago seeking a victim impact statement for her March sentencing.Casey Aguglia, a spokeswoman for Schneiderman's office, declined to discuss LaCarte's plea.Records in the case indicate LaCarte admitted to second-degree grand larceny in Rensselaer County Court on Sept. 13, 2012.Her plea was conducted through what's known as a "superior court information," which allowed LaCarte to plead guilty to a felony without being indicted by a grand jury.According to an unsigne倉, typewritten account attributed to LaCarte in court records, she worked with Bassat to cut checks to fictitious people they claimed had performed maintenance work for or traveled on behalf of 820 River Street.Bassat and LaCarte listed themselves as co-payees on the checks, with Bassat signing off on the payments while LaCarte generated bogus invoices, time sheets and mileage logs to make the payments appear legitimate.The thefts occurred between October 2006 and February 2011, according to plea documents.Of the nearly $204,000 that the attorney general's office says LaCarte and Basset stole through the scheme, LaCarte signed fraudulent checks worth about $63,500, according to records in the case.But the attorney general's office maintains she is actually on the hook for more than $104,000 in restitution, with the difference stemming from other conduct while leading the organization.On Dec. 12, 2012 -- almost two months to the day after LaCarte's plea -- investigators from the FBI and attorney general's office descended on three local offices used by the Altamont Program as part of a broader investigation. The probe was said at the time to include allegations of misdeeds by Bassat at 820 River Street as well as other aspects of the organization's operation and government funding.That raid came five days after Bassat was arrested in Florida, where he had been living for several months after having been fired from 820 River Street.Officials inside the Altamont Program are said to have suspected LaCarte's involvement in Bassat's crimes ever since she stopped cooperating with their own internal investigation, after which she was promptly fired.LaCarte's lawyer, James Tyner, did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. LaCarte, who is free pending the conclusion of her case, could not be reached for comment.Kevin Luibrand, a Latham attorney and president of 820 River Street's board of directors, said the convictions have been a personal blow to Young."I would say that Father Young is deeply saddened on a lot of different levels with what's happened," Luibrand said.jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com, 518-454-5445, @JCEvangelist_TUCopyright: ___ (c)2014 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at .timesunion.com Distributed by MCT Information Services24小時迷你倉