After probe, NY lawyer to repay pension checks
The Associated PressA Long Island lawyer whose fat state retirement checks raised questions about public pension system abuses has agreed to give New York a $240,565 refund.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that Lawrence Reich improperly got himself listed as a full-time employee at five different Long Island school districts. Cuomo says the lawyer was in private practice and only worked for the districts occasionally.
Those job titles entitled him to a hefty pension.
Reich's retirement pay eventually drew the scrutiny of Newsday reporters.
After the newspaper wrote about the issue, the state began cracking down.
Cuomo's office says it has recovered $2 million from 70 people who received improper pensions.
Reich's attorney, Peter Tomao, declined to comment.