Hudson Valley Teacher, New York Cop Arrested For ‘Double-Dipping’

A man who educated young minds in the Hudson Valley and also protected the region for many years was arrested again.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Ulster County District Attorney David J. Clegg recently announced the indictment of former Ulster County BOCES criminal justice instructor and retired Westchester County Police Officer.

Ulster County Teacher, Westchester County Police Officer Arrested

Anthony Sciacca allegedly stole over $163,000 from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) by taking unlawful pension payments and forging a required certificate purportedly issued by the State Education Department (SED).

Officials say he was "double-dipping."

“The defendant allegedly submitted forged documents to scam the New York state retirement system,” DiNapoli said. “He will now face the consequences of his actions."

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Ulster County Boces Teacher Arrested

Sciacca began teaching at Ulster County BOCEs after retiring from the Westchester Police Department in 2005. He earned a salary of over $70,000 as an instructor at Ulster County BOCES teaching criminal justice, officials say.

"As a state retiree under the age of 65, Sciacca was not allowed to earn more than $30,000 annually in other public employment while continuing to receive his pension without a waiver under Section 211 of the Retirement and Social Security Law," the Office of the New York State Comptroller stated in a press release.

Officials allege Sciaa did have a lawful waiver from Sept. 1, 2005, through June 30, 2011, but he did not have a lawful waiver for the next eight years. During those eight years, he continued to receive his teaching salary, over $70,000 a year, on top of his monthly pension payments.

Former Westchester County, New York Police Officer Arrested

Officials also learned Sciacca allegedly forged a document to show that he had received a “Security Operations, Professional Certificate,” which was a requirement of his continued BOCES employment.

Sciacca was charged with scheme to defraud, grand larceny, defrauding the government, four counts of forgery, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing, two counts of falsifying a business record and retirement fraud.

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These charges are on top of the charges when he was arrested in July 2022. On July 14, 2022, the former police officer was charged with grand larceny, three counts of forgery, three counts of filing a false instrument, three counts of falsifying business records and one count of retirement fraud.