MINEOLA, N.Y.-
A former school superintendent who admitted stealing at least $2 million from a Long Island school district was sentenced Tuesday to 4 to 12 years in prison.
The sentencing took place after Frank Tassone was handcuffed in his hospital bed last week and placed under arrest after missing his sentencing hearing twice in three weeks.
In addition to the prison term, the plea agreement calls for him to make restitution to the Roslyn school district.
Tassone, 59, was one of six conspirators involved in the theft of up to $11.2 million from the district, and he pleaded guilty to grand larceny in September 2005. He was the last of the six to be sentenced.
“I am deeply sorry to the people of Roslyn, to the youngsters of Roslyn,” said Tassone, his voice cracking as he stood before the bench in an orange prison jump suit with his hands cuffed in the front. “… I am sincerely sorry for what I have done.”
The $2 million taken by Tassone financed Concorde flights for vacations in England, cruises, hotel and resort accommodations, furniture, jewelry and meals. More than $1 million was stolen via ATM cash advances, according to prosecutors.
If convicted at trial, Tassone could have been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. He has already paid back all but $373,000 of the $2.2 million that he owes, authorities said.
Clifford Saffron, speaking on behalf of the Roslyn school board, lashed out at Tassone in an address that preceded the sentencing.
“Anything positive you may have accomplished during your tenure in Roslyn was washed away in one fell swoop, your own personal tsunami of arrogance, entitlement, materialism and avarice,” Saffron said.
Tassone was placed under arrest Oct. 4 at a New York City hospital after missing his scheduled sentencing for the second time. On Monday, he was transferred to the Nassau University Medical Center jail unit to be closer to the Nassau County courthouse for Tuesday’s sentencing.
Tassone was hospitalized last month with a possible heart attack and missed his Sept. 19 sentencing, which had been rescheduled for Oct. 4. When Tassone failed to appear again, acting state Supreme Court Justice Alan Honorof issued an arrest warrant and said the sentence promised with Tassone’s plea deal would become invalid if the defendant missed a third sentencing date.
In all, six people including Tassone and Pamela Gluckin–the district’s former superintendent for business–pleaded guilty in the scandal. State auditors found that $11.2 million was stolen from the district between 1996 and 2004, but because some of the records are missing or were destroyed, prosecutors were only able to link about $7 million to Tassone and his co-defendants.
Gluckin was sentenced last month to 3 to 9 years in prison and agreed to repay $4.3 million.
Since the scandal broke more than two years ago, school administrators in several other districts have been charged with misusing, or in some cases stealing, taxpayer funds.
