Embezzlement: who's working in your mail room?

Robert Pagini, 57, of Rensselaer, worked for the New York State Department of Health, from 1997 until January of this year as a Senior Mail & Supply Clerk. For most of that time, he was the Supervisor-in-Charge of the mail room located in the Hedley Building in Troy. To process outgoing mail, the Department of Health maintains a mailing system machine which weighs, seals and affixes metered postage strips to the mail that the mail room receives.

From March 2004 until January 2010, Pagini was selling items over eBay, predominantly coins and currency. He would then use the Department of Health's postage machine to pay the postage for the items that he was sending to his eBay customers. Furthermore, he would use the Department of Health's postage machine to pay for the postage on personal mail. All together the postage amounted to a theft from taxpayers of more than USD16,000.

As part of the investigation, the New York State Inspector General's Office purchased two coins; an 1882-O $1 Morgan Silver Dollar, and a 1988 $1 Canada Silver Saint-Maurice Ironworks Proof from Pagini through eBay. When the coins arrived, the envelopes bore postage meter strips which belonged to the Department of Health's account.

Pagini pleaded guilty before Rensselaer County Court Judge Andrew G. Ceresia to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony.

As part of the plea agreement, Pagini must pay full restitution and never again seek nor obtain employment with a government agency. Pagini was released without bail pending sentencing on August 27th.