By C1 Staff
RENSSELAER COUNTY, NY — A Rensselaer County correctional officer was arraigned Thursday morning for allegedly using union funds to pay for his own entertainment.
The Troy Record reports that Kevin Rogers is accused of using $3,000 in union funds to pay for gentlemen’s clubs, boxing events and restaurants.
He is charged with third and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery and second-degree criminal possession of forged instrument for embezzling from the Sheriff’s Employee’s Association of Rensselaer County.
Rogers was the vice president and treasurer of SERCO at the same time when Mark Piche was president.
Both Piche and Rogers were the subject of a similar federal investigation, which found no evidence to bring federal charges against Rogers.
Piche ended up taking a plea deal in a federal case accusing him of under-reporting employees’ wages at his Division Street restaurant.
Rogers is accused of suggesting that the union make a $400 donation to a local boxer, upon which he was provided with a blank check from SERCO’s bank account. The check was then later found to have been used for “Pugnacious Promotions” for the amount of $1,200, the cost of a ring side table at a boxing event sponsored by Pugnacious Promotions.
Another check was also used to purchase a ring side table at another boxing event for $600.
Rogers pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on his own recognizance. He is expected to appear in court July 16.