Dillon Reveals Corruption In Another Nassau School District
Mineola finance official charged with corruption
Seth Harris 05/25/2005 5:04 pm

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Add one more to the list of Long Island school officials charged with wrongdoing.

Mineola School District administrator John Jackson was indicted Wednesday on 20 charges including bribe receiving, criminal possession of a forged instrument, grand larceny, and defrauding the government. Authorities say he used taxpayer funds for a koi pond, patio, pool, landscaping and a new driveway, all for his home in Commack.

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced May 25 the grand jury indictment of Jackson, the former Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations for the Mineola Union Free School District (MUFSD). In addition, Michael Crisci, 33, of West Islip, owner of Infinite Painting Contractors Inc., is charged with six counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument for work he did with the school district.

"By abusing his position as a school district administrator, Jackson has committed a crime not only against the taxpayers and students of the Mineola Union Free School District, he also has undermined the trust the public expects from its public employees," Dillon said.

Jackson, 45, allegedly was involved in the solicitation and receipt of bribes from vendors of the school district including the installation of a $35,000 brick patio and cash payments, says Dillon. Other vendors of the MUFSD were solicited by Jackson to perform electrical, plumbing, and lawn sprinkler services at his home.

Regarding the installation of the brick patio in 2001, Dillon said Jackson authorized the payment of a false MUFSD invoice in the amount of $10,800, which stated that concrete work was to be performed at the school district. However, Dillon says the amount was used by Jackson to purchase materials for the installation of brick in the backyard of his home and around his in-ground swimming pool and fishpond. Dillon says Jackson never paid the vendor and indicated to the vendor that it was the cost of receiving continued concrete work for the district, which was authorized by Jackson.

Crisci, who is charged with six counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in that Jackson solicited forged painting contract estimates for painting work to be performed for the MUFSD. According to Dillon, on six occasions, Crisci provided forged letterheads with painting estimates of other contractors to the school district to provide the appearance that competitive bids had been obtained. Dillon says that on three separate painting contracts it falsely appeared that two competitors of Crisci's company submitted estimates, and Jackson authorized the awarding of the contracts to Crisci.

Jackson is also charged with accepting cash gratuities from a vendor who performed carpentry work for the school district, falsifying business records, theft of services, official misconduct, and receiving unlawful gratuities. Although, the charges carry varying sentences, Dillon says Jackson is facing up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Jackson allegedly directed school district groundskeepers to purchase nursery and landscape materials for his home using funds of the school district and then using their labor and equipment at his residence, Dillon says. Photographs shown by the district attorney's office show MUFSD vehicles in Jackson's driveway on more than one occasion.

Dillon says over a two year period MUFSD personnel performed work at Jackson's home including simple chores as cleaning and organizing his garage and backyard shed, installing holiday lights, and weekly lawn maintenance.

In total, the district attorney estimates Jackson benefited by at least $93,000. Jackson is responsible for taking about $30,000 from the MUFSD and received approximately $63,000 in bribes and gratuities.

At his May 25 arraignment, Jackson was released on his own recognizance and bail was set for Crisci at $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash.

Jackson began working for the district in September 1998 following his position as assistant business manager in the Sewanhaka School District. According to school district officials, Jackson is on an unpaid leave of absence until June 30 and on July 1 his position will be eliminated.