Bronx school employee and accomplices charged with theft of $173,000

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BRONX, NY – A Bronx public school employee, her husband and a friend have been charged with corruption and fraud for allegedly stealing more than $173,000 in funds intended for a high school in the Longwood neighborhood, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Rusnelly Clase, 40, a community associate at High School 302, is accused of orchestrating a four-year scheme to divert school funds by submitting false invoices for services and goods never provided. The alleged sellers were her husband, Justin Echevarría, 37, and her friend, Lisa Michelle Geraldino, 36, according to Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and the city school district’s special commissioner of investigation. from New York, Anastasia Coleman.

“While working at High School 302 in Longwood, the defendant allegedly stole much-needed funds from the school in a fraud scheme that spanned four years, enriching herself, her husband, and her friend,” District Attorney Clark said in a statement. “It is inconceivable that they deprive children in this way.”

The indictment alleges that Clase and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent invoices totaling $173,000 for goods and services that were never delivered to the school. Prosecutors say the funds, intended for students, were pocketed by the defendants over several years.

The three defendants face a 296-count indictment and were arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court before Judge Brenda Rivera. They were released on supervised release and are due back in court on January 28, 2025.

Prosecutors say the case highlights the misuse of limited public resources intended to benefit students, and Special Commissioner Coleman said: “There can be no tolerance for this type of fraud within the New York City school system “.