Dying Criminal OKed to Spend Last Days in Hospice
Nassau County District Court Judge Francis Ricigliano has OKed the release of an inmate to spend her dying days in hospice care. Diane McCloud, 47, suffers a terminal heart condition and missed an opportunity for a transplant by continuing to commit crimes. Ricigliano was the same judge who showed mercy on McCloud and freed her from her jail sentence, only a year ago, so she would be eligible for a life-saving transplant not available had she stayed incarcerated. Dr. Sanjay Doddamani reports that McCloud has days, maybe weeks, to live. “We’re happy she’s being released. We don’t want her to die there,” Jaunita Smith, McCloud’s mother, says. “She’s not a bad person. She didn’t come from a bad family.” McCloud has a long rap sheet of petty larceny and was thrown back in jail after being busted for shoplifting $500 worth of items from a pharmacy in September.
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A&P Bankruptcy Closes Five Waldbaums, 1 Pathmark
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. announced Monday that it has filed a motion in Manhattan federal court to close more than a dozen of its stores in four states. Among the store closings are a Pathmark in Nassau County and five Waldbaums in Suffolk. “While this was a very difficult decision that will unfortunately impact some of your customers, partners, associates and the surrounding communities, these actions are absolutely necessary,” said Sam Martin, CEO of A&P. The stores on the chopping block include the Waldbaums in Rockville Centre, Huntington Station, Commack, West Babylon and Lake Ronkonkoma, and the closing Pathmark is located in East Islip. Pending court approval, the stores will be closed by March.
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Man Accused of Stealing from Relative, School District
Ivan Shamberger is accused of stealing a paycheck from a relative, but more than that he is accused of stealing from the Uniondale school district. Shamberger’s relative was an employee for the Uniondale school district and by copying the routing and account numbers on the check Shamberger used his home computer to purchase items online from various businesses using the stolen checking information. He reportedly spent nearly $37,000 of the school districts payroll money on various items.
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Nassau County Failed to Collect $80 Million In Fines
An audit of Nassau County’s Traffic and Parking Violations Agency has revealed that authorities failed to collect $80 million in traffic, parking and red light camera fines over 10 years. There was an estimated $4 million unpaid traffic tickets fines, and $26 million in parking fines. $10 million in red light camera fines accrued in just the last two years have not been collected. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos said that his department will be changing its collection procedures to target unpaid ticket-holders and scofflaws. What appears to be the biggest problem is that traffic law violators hold the perception that the county won’t come after them for unpaid fines. A weak collection policy is to blame as the county typically doesn’t go after residents until the third violation. The county will now be seeking out unpaid-ticket holders but will probably only retrieve a portion of the $80 million.