WXXI: FBI Brings Complaint Against Former County Worker (2009-06-18)

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has brought a criminal complaint against a former Monroe County employee, charging that his actions cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars for work that was never done.

Robert Morone is accused of two counts of mail fraud in a complaint that says he falsified time cards and had the county pay workers when they were working on private individuals' homes, taking vacations, going to strip clubs, and chauffeuring his mother-in-law around town.

Morone was the county's supervisor of maintenance and construction, and was tasked with deploying workers to county jobs, through the Robutrad Corporation. That firm is set up to provide union labor to the county.

The criminal complaint also charges that Morone, a former head of the Gates Republican Committee, encouraged the workers to make political donations which were in some cases reimbursed to the workers with county funds through falsified time cards.

Last December, 14 Robutrad workers, along with Morone, were charged with various larcenies related to the scandal.

New York State campaign finance records show that of the arrested workers, only four actually made campaign contributions. They totaled $1,399 and went to County Executive Maggie Brooks' 2007 campaign.

Morone is also accused of using union laborers as campaign "volunteers" to do jobs like walking in parades, stuffing envelops and phone banking. He allegedly compensated them with hours that he billed through fake time cards, or paid time off - and required that workers kick back up to $25 a day for those paid days off.

The criminal complaint notes that Morone also had crews build a disabled access ramp for the parents of a Monroe County legislator, and did various jobs for the former financial director of the Monroe County Republican Committee, Irene Matichyn.

Morone also allegedly used county funds to reimburse Robutrad workers for work they did on their own homes, and on Morone's residence.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

Morone appeared before Federal Judge Jonathan Feldman Thursday afternoon to answer the complaint, and was released on his own recognizance. He's set to re-file a financial affidavit to determine if he's eligible to have the federal government provide a defense attorney.