Attorney Must Repay $600,000 in Pension Payments, N.Y. Declares

A Long Island attorney must repay theNew York state retirement system more than $600,000 for pension payments he collected but was ineligible for, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced last week.

DiNapoli revoked Albert D'Agostino's pension after finding that he had been incorrectly listed as an employee of the Nassau County Planning Commission, the Valley Stream Union Free School District, Lawrence UFSD, and North Merrick UFSD for periods ranging from three to 23 years while was working as an independent contractor, the comptroller's office said. From August 2002 through March 2008 he collected $605,874 in pension payments.

Newsday reported that D'Agostino said his pension credits had been reviewed by a previous state comptroller and that he would "fully and vigorously defend [his] rights."

DiNapoli's office also said that Long Island attorney Lawrence Reich must repay the retirement system $83,624 for pension payments he received after being improperly listed as an employee for six school districts for which he worked as an independent contractor.

DiNapoli's office has revoked membership or retirement service credit for 33 individuals this year.

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