ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ. Οι ομοσπονδιακές αρχές το πρωί της Δευτέρας, 25 Νοεμβρίου 2019 συνέλαβαν τον πρώην εκτελεστικό διευθυντή Διοίκησης και Οικονομικών της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής Τζέρυ Δημητρίου (Jerome Dimitriou) για υπεξαίρεση πάνω από μισό εκατομμύριο δολάρια από την Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής.
Τη σύλληψή του ανακοίνωσαν ο ομοσπονδιακός εισαγγελέας της Νότιας Περιφέρειας της Νέας Υόρκης Τζέφρι Μπέρμαν (United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman) και η βοηθός επιθεωρητή της Υπηρεσίας Ελέγχου του Ταχυδρομείου των ΗΠΑ Ρουθ Μεντόντσα (Ruth M. Mendonça, the Assistant Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service “USPIS”), οι οποίοι ανέφεραν τις βαριές κατηγορίες, οι οποίες εάν επιβεβαιωθούν επισύρουν ποινή φυλάκισης έως και 20 ετών.
Ο κατηγορούμενος όπως αναφέρεται στη σχετική ανακοίνωση τύπου το απόγευμα αναμένεται να προσαχθεί ενώπιον του ομοσπονδιακού δικαστηρίου στο Μανχάταν όπου θα του απαγγελθούν οι κατηγορίες.
Ο κ. Δημητρίου κατηγορείται για υπεξαίρεση χρημάτων χρεώνοντας την εταιρική πιστωτική κάρτα της Αρχιεπισκοπής για προσωπικά και άλλα έξοδα, καθώς επίσης και για τις αυξήσεις των αποδοχών του μέσω των οποίων την πενταετία 2013-2017 κατάφερε να υπεξαιρέσει $488.290 δολάρια. Συγκεκριμένα το 2013 υπεξαίρεσε 87.500 δολάρια το 2013, το 2014 112.500 δολάρια, το 201589.375 δολάρια, το 2016 132.610 δολάρια και το 2017 66.305 δολάρια.
Παράλληλα κατηγορείται ότι από το 2000 έως το 2017 χρέωνε στην εταιρική κάρτα προσωπικά και άλλα έξοδα χωρίς έγκριση, ενώ για ταξίδια με την οικογένειά από τον Μάιο του 2011 έως και τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2017 ανέρχονται στα 61.286.20 δολάρια.
Ο κ. Δημητρίου είναι ο δεύτερος αξιωματούχος της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής ο οποίος κατηγορείται για διαφθορά. Προηγήθηκε η σύλληψη και η προ τριών και πλέον εβδομάδων η καταδίκη του οικονομικού διευθυντή της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής, Γιώργου Παπαδάκου.
Ο κ. Παπαδάκος, όπως έγραψαν οι «Αναμνήσεις» είχε παραδεχτεί την ενοχή και έπεσε στα μαλακά. Καταδικάστηκε με μόνο για το διάστημα που είχε εκτίσει και διατάχτηκε να επιστρέψει το ποσό των $128.499.
Το πλήρες κείμενο της ανακοίνωσης της Εισαγγελίας έχει ως εξής
Former Executive Director Of Non-Profit Religious Organization Charged With Two Embezzlement Schemes
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ruth M. Mendonça, the Assistant Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the arrest today of JEROME DIMITRIOU, the former executive director of a non-profit religious organization (“Organization-1”), on wire fraud charges. Specifically, DIMITRIOU is charged with committing two embezzlement schemes: In one, he allegedly embezzled more than $488,000 from Organization-1 by directing subordinates to issue him unauthorized excess salary payments; in the other, he allegedly charged hundreds of personal expenses to his Organization-1 credit card, without authorization, costing Organization-1 at least tens of thousands of dollars. DIMITRIOU will be presented today in federal court in the Southern District of New York before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “As the executive director of a non-profit religious organization, Jerome Dimitriou was supposed to serve the organization, not himself. As alleged, over several years, he abused his leadership position and embezzled over half a million dollars through two different schemes. This Office is committed to protecting non-profit organizations from those who allegedly steal rather than serve.”
USPIS Assistant Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonça said: “Mr. Dimitriou allegedly used his position of trust at a religious organization to steal from his employer. His undoing came when Postal Inspectors used their trusted and sworn law enforcement position to bring him to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today[1]:
From in or around 2000 until late 2017, JEROME DIMITRIOU was the executive director of Organization-1. While serving as executive director, DIMITRIOU engaged in at least two separate, long-running embezzlement schemes. One of his fraud schemes involved his unauthorized use of an Organization-1 credit card to pay for at least hundreds of personal expenses. For instance, from in or around May 2011 through in or around September 2017, DIMITRIOU charged the following to his Organization-1 credit card: at least approximately 204 charges for airline travel with his family (who were not employed by Organization-1); at least approximately 552 iTunes charges; at least approximately 71 charges for a gym membership at David Barton Gym; and at least approximately 44 retail charges, including at such stores as Sears, Home Depot, CVS, Duane Reade, Walgreens, and Vitamin Shoppe. The value of the airline travel with his family, for instance, was at least approximately $61,286.20.
Another of DIMITRIOU’s fraud schemes involved directing subordinates to issue him excess salary and paychecks, over many years, without the authorization or approval of Organization-1. During just 2013 through September 2017, for instance, the total value of these excess salary and paychecks was at least approximately $488,290. During the period of DIMITRIOU’s embezzlement schemes, Organization-1 was enduring financial difficulties, a fact of which DIMITRIOU was well aware.
* * *
DIMITRIOU, 55, of Greenlawn, New York, is charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised USPIS for its outstanding work on this case and noted that the investigation is ongoing.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Neff and Michael C. McGinnis are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Attachment(s):
Download U.S. v. Jerome Dimitriou complaint.pdf
Topic(s):
Financial Fraud
Component(s):
Press Release Number:
19-398
