ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A 51-year-old former project manager for the state Department of Environmental Conservation has been sentenced to prison for his role in a fraud scheme.
David Comenale of New York Mills was sentenced Monday in Oneida County Court to two to six years in prison. He pleaded guilty in August to two counts of grand larceny.
A two-year investigation by the state Inspector General’s office found that Comenale used his position with the DEC for a complex scheme in which he secured funds for a construction project on Staten Island and siphoned money into shell companies he controlled.
State officials said Comenale also used another contractor two years ago that he routinely worked with for DEC projects to steal approximately $26,000 through a fraudulent loan scheme involving Adirondack Bank.
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