By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
Margarita Villegas, the former director of Bronx non-profit organization, SBCC Management Corporation, which provided management services to two residential buildings with low-income, elderly and disabled tenants, bawled in court as she apologized for bilking the corporation of more than $50,000, reported the New York Daily News. The program was funded with federal and taxpayer dollars.
Villegas, whose co-defendant, Richard Izquierdo Arroyo is the grandson of Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo and the nephew of the Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, apologized to the court saying, "I'm so sorry for those I let down," Villegas said as she wiped her eyes. "If it takes me the rest of my life I will pay back every nickel."
According to the Daily News, the 54-year-old former director wailed like a baby as Manhattan Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein sentenced her to 10 months in prison and ordered she pay an additional $3,000 fine, reimbursement fee and serve three years on supervised release as her daughter, husband and family members looked on.
Villegas, who cited many of her good deeds - such as running a local Little League and taking care of her elderly mother - asked the court to not send her to prison for shamelessly robbing the non-profit corporation. Judge Hellerstein, who once warned Villegas that his ruling "may surprise her," acknowledged Villegas' good deeds, but also said that he had little choice in sending her to prison because Villegas betrayed a public trust.
"It's easier to punish bad people than it is to punish good people...and clearly, Ms. Villegas, you are a good person," said Hellerstein before handing down his decision.
Villegas admitted that between June 2002 and August 2008 she charged almost $54,000 in personal expenses to SBCC's American Express account. Izquierdo Arroyo was the president and Villegas was the director of SBCC.
Prosecutors say $15,000 of the pillaged monies went to repair the floor of Assemblywoman Arroyo's district office, making illegal campaign contributions and to pay the salaries of interns hired for both Arroyo and Councilwoman Arroyo. Prosecutors also said that an additional $13,000 went for clothes, hotels, vacations to Puerto Rico, lavish meals and airline tickets. Approximately $26,000 was taken with fabricated reimbursement receipts. Villegas allegedly paid back only $6,300 of the monies she spent.
Several news reports initially stated that Villegas and Richard Izquierdo Arroyo stole anywhere from $180,000 to $115,000. Villegas' attorney Michael Rosen said his client was not enjoying the high life off of the money she embezzled. "She didn't go to Bergdorf's, Bendel's or Saks," said Rosen. "She went to Dress Barn."
Despite benefiting from said monies, neither the Assemblywoman or Councilwoman have ever been indicted in the brazen theft. Councilwoman Arroyo, who is a target of a city probe into Council slush funds, told the New York Daily News that she was not concerned about Villegas and Izquierdo conviction or pleas.
"No, not at all," Councilwoman Arroyo said. "I have nothing to worry about."
In addition to pleading guilty to the theft, her nephew, Izquierdo Arroyo, has been slapped with a civil lawsuit over alleged abuse at the charter school he resigned from.
The lawsuit claims that Izquierdo Arroyo failed to protect a student who was allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted by a teacher. Izquierdo Arroyo was chairman of the South Bronx Charter School for International Culture and the Arts when the alleged abuse occurred. The lawsuit, filed in Bronx Supreme Court earlier this year, stated that Jared Alessandroni, a teacher at the school, repeatedly called the student "gay" and allegedly twisted the child's arm in March 2009.
"The teacher's conduct was reprehensible and utterly inappropriate for a class of high school seniors, let alone second- and third-graders," said Patrick Mullaney, lawyer for angry mom Nereida Pastrana, whose son is now 10-years-old. The suit goes on to say that the conduct of Mr. Alessandroni (who has since resigned his position and denies the allegations) was "well-known" and "condoned" by staff members and the administration. The suit also names the school principal, Evelyn Hey, as a defendant. A spokesman for the charter's operator, Victory Schools, called the suit is baseless.
Pastrana told the New York Daily News that there were "a lot of sexually inappropriate comments" directed toward her son while he attended the school.
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Villegas, whose co-defendant, Richard Izquierdo Arroyo is the grandson of Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo and the nephew of the Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, apologized to the court saying, "I'm so sorry for those I let down," Villegas said as she wiped her eyes. "If it takes me the rest of my life I will pay back every nickel."
According to the Daily News, the 54-year-old former director wailed like a baby as Manhattan Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein sentenced her to 10 months in prison and ordered she pay an additional $3,000 fine, reimbursement fee and serve three years on supervised release as her daughter, husband and family members looked on.
Villegas, who cited many of her good deeds - such as running a local Little League and taking care of her elderly mother - asked the court to not send her to prison for shamelessly robbing the non-profit corporation. Judge Hellerstein, who once warned Villegas that his ruling "may surprise her," acknowledged Villegas' good deeds, but also said that he had little choice in sending her to prison because Villegas betrayed a public trust.
"It's easier to punish bad people than it is to punish good people...and clearly, Ms. Villegas, you are a good person," said Hellerstein before handing down his decision.
Villegas admitted that between June 2002 and August 2008 she charged almost $54,000 in personal expenses to SBCC's American Express account. Izquierdo Arroyo was the president and Villegas was the director of SBCC.
Prosecutors say $15,000 of the pillaged monies went to repair the floor of Assemblywoman Arroyo's district office, making illegal campaign contributions and to pay the salaries of interns hired for both Arroyo and Councilwoman Arroyo. Prosecutors also said that an additional $13,000 went for clothes, hotels, vacations to Puerto Rico, lavish meals and airline tickets. Approximately $26,000 was taken with fabricated reimbursement receipts. Villegas allegedly paid back only $6,300 of the monies she spent.
Several news reports initially stated that Villegas and Richard Izquierdo Arroyo stole anywhere from $180,000 to $115,000. Villegas' attorney Michael Rosen said his client was not enjoying the high life off of the money she embezzled. "She didn't go to Bergdorf's, Bendel's or Saks," said Rosen. "She went to Dress Barn."
Despite benefiting from said monies, neither the Assemblywoman or Councilwoman have ever been indicted in the brazen theft. Councilwoman Arroyo, who is a target of a city probe into Council slush funds, told the New York Daily News that she was not concerned about Villegas and Izquierdo conviction or pleas.
"No, not at all," Councilwoman Arroyo said. "I have nothing to worry about."
In addition to pleading guilty to the theft, her nephew, Izquierdo Arroyo, has been slapped with a civil lawsuit over alleged abuse at the charter school he resigned from.
The lawsuit claims that Izquierdo Arroyo failed to protect a student who was allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted by a teacher. Izquierdo Arroyo was chairman of the South Bronx Charter School for International Culture and the Arts when the alleged abuse occurred. The lawsuit, filed in Bronx Supreme Court earlier this year, stated that Jared Alessandroni, a teacher at the school, repeatedly called the student "gay" and allegedly twisted the child's arm in March 2009.
"The teacher's conduct was reprehensible and utterly inappropriate for a class of high school seniors, let alone second- and third-graders," said Patrick Mullaney, lawyer for angry mom Nereida Pastrana, whose son is now 10-years-old. The suit goes on to say that the conduct of Mr. Alessandroni (who has since resigned his position and denies the allegations) was "well-known" and "condoned" by staff members and the administration. The suit also names the school principal, Evelyn Hey, as a defendant. A spokesman for the charter's operator, Victory Schools, called the suit is baseless.
Pastrana told the New York Daily News that there were "a lot of sexually inappropriate comments" directed toward her son while he attended the school.
Related Articles
Grandson, Nephew of New York Politicians Pleads Guilty
New Jersey Politicians Turned New York Politicians
Media Outlets must credit
The Black Urban Times
www.theblackurbantimes.com
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