Three former New York City correction officers have pleaded guilty to criminal charges for fraudulently taking advantage of employee sick leave programs.
Eduardo Trinidad pleaded guilty to federal program fraud and admitted he fraudulently claimed wages from the New York City Department of Corrections by claiming to be sick when he was healthy and able to work, according to a March 7 news release. Other former New York City correction officers Monica Coaxum and Steven Cange have also pleaded guilty to the same charge.
“The defendants have admitted stealing taxpayer funds by collecting their full salaries while falsely claiming they were too sick to work,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in the release. “Sick leave abuse is a plague on the New York City Department of Correction that puts fellow officers and inmates at risk during the ongoing staffing crisis in the jails. This office is working with our federal and local law enforcement partners to identify those who exploit the sick leave policy and hold them accountable.”
Trinidad claimed he was unable to work from June 2021 to October 2022 while claiming more than $119,000 in salary while on sick leave, the release reported. Trinidad also pretended to be injured when attending required check-ins with DOC medical officials, but video and photographic evidence would show Trinidad performing home improvement work, bowling and traveling abroad without difficulty or assistance.
Coaxum is Trinidad's fiancée and fraudulently claimed sick leave from March 2021 to April 2022 while earning more than $80,000 in salary during that period, according to the release. She allegedly claimed multiple injuries, even though she was able to work.
Evidence shows Coaxum claimed to be attending medical appointments, but was determined to be elsewhere, the release reported. Evidence also showed she was traveling and attending parties when she was claiming to be injured and at home.
Cange claimed more than $139,000 in wages while on sick leave from March 2021 to November 2022. According to the release, Cange submitted more than 100 fraudulent medical notes claiming he was attending physical therapy, but records from those providers showed he never attended those appointments. Evidence also showed he was engaging in normal daily activities without difficulty.
“These correction officers faked medical documentation to take sick leave they were not entitled to in the midst of a city jail staffing crisis,” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said in the release. “They violated DOC policy, and they broke the law. Their conduct — including travel around the country, partying, bowling and home repairs, on stolen sick leave time — is an insult to the correction officers who do their jobs, who show up to work and risk their personal safety on a daily basis. I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their partnership in bringing this case to a close.”
All three defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for their actions, the release reported.
