A Syracuse man has admitted to stealing nearly $22,000 in pension payments sent to his deceased mother, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced. 45-year-old Michael Glinski was arrested in January following an investigation by DiNapoli’s office.
Glinski’s mother, a clerk with the Village of Solvay Police Department, retired in August of 2014 and received a monthly pension check. She also received her deceased husband’s pension payment as a beneficiary since 2019. When she passed away in October 2021, both payments should have stopped, but the New York State and Local Retirement System was not notified of her death until July 2022. Her payments then stopped, and an investigation was launched.
DiNapoli’s investigators determined that Glinski had deposited 17 pension checks, totaling $21,946.36, into his personal bank account by endorsing the checks using his power of attorney, which he knew had ended under the law at the time of his mother’s death.
Glinski pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the third degree in Onondaga County Court before Judge Mary Anne Doherty. He is due back in court on June 23.
“Mr. Glinski tried to hide his mother’s death to cash her pension checks. Attempts to steal from and defraud our pension system will be rooted out,” DiNapoli said. “My thanks to DA Fitzpatrick and Superintendent James for their partnership in holding the defendant accountable.”
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