The former chemistry department administrator at NYU pleaded guilty to a scam involving found receipts that netted him $400,000 from the school between 2003 and 2009. The school only realized that John Runowicz had been stealing because a meddling student blew the whistle on him.
Runowicz had work-study students submit discarded receipts that he took from the Wine Warehouse on Broadway to the bursar's office. Runowicz claimed the receipts—clearly marked from "Wine Warehouse"—were for chemistry department supplies and events, and the bursar's office always approved them, never once looking at the receipts. However, one of the students' friends told the school's internal investigations department—"I lost sleep over it. I was, like, 'Was there that much wine in that department?' I mean, there could be $1,000 a day in receipts"—and Runowicz's fake expense operation fell apart.
Runowicz will be sentenced on July 14; he faces one to three years for the second degree larceny charge.
