NYU Administrator Busted for Stealing $400,000

New York University administrator John Runowicz was arrested on Wednesday for stealing over $400,000.
NYU Administrator Busted for Stealing $400,000
Evan Mantyk
12/23/2009
Updated:
12/23/2009

NEW YORK—New York University administrator John Runowicz, 47, was arrested on Wednesday for stealing over $400,000 from the university.

Runowicz was the administrator of NYU’s chemistry department, where he was responsible for overseeing budgetary matters and various expenses. Between 2003 and 2009, he was involved in submitting thousands of fraudulent requests for petty cash reimbursement to the university.

“Runowicz scavenged discarded cash register receipts from a local liquor store, attached them to reimbursement request forms, and falsely claimed that the expenses were for chemistry department supply purchases and other functions,” according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

None of those receipts reflected legitimate business expenses. Carrying on his scheme for over five years, Runowicz fraudulently submitted over 13,000 receipts from the liquor store and stole $409,000, said an official from the district attorney’s office.

Runowicz has been indicted on charges of grand larceny and falsifying business records.

NYU reported the matter to the district attorney’s office this summer after the theft was uncovered by an internal audit.

The university said it’s “deeply disappointed” an employee would abuse the trust of the NYU community, according to a statement obtained by NY1 News.

Evan Mantyk is an English teacher in New York and President of the Society of Classical Poets.
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