A Huntington man has been arrested and accused of stealing for continuing to collect his mother’s pension after her death.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Thursday that Moses K. Johnson, 63, for allegedly stealing his mother’s public pension payments following her death in April 2021.
Johnson allegedly failed to notify the bank or the New York State and Local Retirement System
of his mother’s death. Instead, Johnson continued to collect and spend her pension payments.
Between April 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, Johnson allegedly collected a total of 15 unauthorized
payments totaling $56,411.37.
“The New York State Retirement Fund is funded by the hard work of hundreds of thousands of
public sector employees, and provides retirement security for over one million members,” Tierney said. “My Office will investigate and prosecute anyone who is alleged to have stolen from this vital resource.”
The arrest is the result of a joint investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney and the
Office of the New York State Comptroller. According to the investigation, Johnson’s mother died
on April 16, 2021.
Johnson previously worked for the Town of Huntington for over 30 years, and worked in the
recycling center until his retirement in 2017.
On Wednesday, Johnson was arrested by investigators of the Suffolk County District
Attorney’s Office, and arraigned before Suffolk County District Court Judg Anna
Acqafredda, for one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony. Judge
Acqafredda released Johnson on his own recognizance. Johnson is due back in court on Oct. 25.