The Bad Miele: Brian Miele Charged with dozens of new crimes

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DA’S OFFICE

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced additional criminal charges against a former Ramapo Central School District administrator for allegedly falsifying teaching certifications and providing phony documentation in a long‐running scheme to boost the salaries of dozens of teachers.

Brian Miele (DOB 05/08/50) of 462 Kossuth Street, Paramus, New Jersey is charged with:

• Two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, class “B” Felonies

• Ten counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, class “C” Felonies

• 76 counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class “D” Felonies

• Seven counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, class “E” Felonies

• 87 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies

• Five counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies

District Attorney Zugibe said, “This defendant is accused of abusing his role as a school administrator by engaging in a scheme to ‘help out’ dozens of teachers in the district at the expense of local taxpayers by ‘being a nice guy’ and hiking their pay. By exploiting his leadership position and allowing uncertified educators in the classroom, his actions had the potential to harm the academic performance of students and undermine the trust of parents who put their faith in public education. Dishonesty has no place in our schools. This case will be vigorously prosecuted.”

Miele, the former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for the Ramapo Central School District, was responsible for assigning instructors to appropriate courses, for which they were legally certified to teach. Additionally, the defendant determined, based on New York State Law, negotiated union contracts and district policy, the annual salary for every teacher in the district.

Using various means, Miele is accused of improperly inflating the annual salaries of numerous teachers, allowing them to receive income to which they were not entitled. It is further alleged that the defendant permitted some teachers to collect salaries without the legally‐required New York State teacher certification.

According to the charges, Miele covered up the crimes by falsifying the records of the school district and state.

The arrest of the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit. Miele, the former mayor of Hillburn and county legislator, retired in June, 2010.

He was criminally charged in March, 2011 in a scheme to falsify the number of education credits for his daughter, a district teacher, allowing her to improperly receive more than $40,000 in pay. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned in Rockland County Court on September 24, 2013.

Miele faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison. The case is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant District Attorney Gary Lee Heavner.