NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A man was indicted for allegedly stealing over $600,000 from two retired New York City employees’ pensions, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday.
Gregory Mathieu, 40, of Canarsie, was arraigned on a nine-count indictment in which he is charged with corrupting the government, grand larceny, identity theft and offering a false instrument for filing.
Between February 8, 2021, and January 2, 2024, Mathieu stole approximately $624,000 from the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), where he worked as an associate retirement benefits examiner, prosecutors said.
Mathieu allegedly reactivated suspended pension payments of a retired Department of Sanitation supervisor who had not been reported as deceased after he died at age 63, stealing retroactive payments of approximately $242,000 and monthly payments between May 2021 and January 2024 of approximately $5,700, officials said.
He also allegedly stole approximately $199,000 from a 75-year-old retired Associated Railroad Signal Specialist employed by the MTA/NYC Transit whose account was suspended because he failed to cash his pension checks. He did not take steps to reactive his account until January 2024, which led to the discovery of the alleged thefts by Mathieu.
Mathieu has been employed by NYCERS for approximately 15 years. He is currently suspended with pay.
He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Feb. 5, 2025.
"This defendant is accused of exploiting his trusted position to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the New York City Employee Retirement System, betraying retirees' dignity and the public trust," D.A. Gonzalez said. "The financial security of more than 350,000 current and former city employees who rely on NYCERS is vital to their well-being and peace of mind. These are our neighbors—people who have dedicated their lives to serving New Yorkers—and we will not tolerate anyone preying on them."
"By pursuing this prosecution, we are sending a strong message that those who abuse their positions for personal gain will face serious consequences. I want to thank DOI for their thorough investigation and NYCERS for their cooperation in safeguarding the retirement funds of city employees," he added.