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Office of the District Attorney P. David Soares
Antonia Novello Arraigned for Defrauding New York State, ALBANY , NY – District Attorney P. David Soares today announced that ANTONIA NOVELLO, 64, of FL, was arraigned this morning before the Honorable Stephen Herrick on a sealed indictment consisting of: (1) count of Defrauding the Government, a Class “E” Felony; (3) counts of Offering a False Instrument For Filing in the First Degree, a Class “E” Felony; and (16) counts of Theft of Services, a Class “A” Misdemeanor. NOVELLO pled not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. “Through the prosecution of Alan Hevesi, and other state and local officials, it has become clear that under current laws, we are unable to hold our public officials properly accountable for the theft of state services. If Dr. Novello had stolen paperclips instead of the services of her subordinates, she would be facing much stiffer penalties today,” commented Albany County District Attorney David Soares. “The indictment unsealed this morning reflects our attempt to hold Dr. Novello accountable to the fullest extent of the law. It is my hope that a review of both this case, and the Alan Hevesi case by the Governor and our leaders, will bring about a change in those laws so that our public officials will think twice before conducting their personal affairs on the taxpayer's dime. I would like to thank the Office of the New York State Inspector General for their diligent investigation of this case, and also caution that this indictment is just an accusation. Dr. Novello, like every other defendant, is entitled to the presumption of innocence.” The indictment alleges that between January 31, 2004 and December 25 th, 2006 NOVELLO did intend to defraud the state, in an amount in excess of $1,000, by using state employees under her supervision and control for her personal purposes. The state employees earned wages, including regular and overtime hours during the time they were working for NOVELLO, while being paid by the State of New York. NOVELLO faces up to 4 to 12 years in prison if convicted of all the charges. Assistant District Attorney Linda Griggs of the Public Integrity Unit is handling the prosecution of this case. For more information, please contact Heather Orth. ### For further information contact: Heather Streeter Orth
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