NEW ROCHELLE, NY (November 29, 2023) — Former New Rochelle Police Department Detective and PBA President Christopher Greco, 52, pleaded guilty today before Judge Eileen Songer McCarthy in New Rochelle City Court to one count of Petit Larceny, an A Misdemeanor.
Greco admitted that between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2023, he stole approximately $24,000 from Christopher’s Voice, Inc. and used the money for himself and his family.
By pleading guilty, Greco effectively admitted he used the serious medical condition of his child to fleece donors and line his pockets.
In 2017, Greco, along with his wife Tracy Camillone Greco co-founded Christopher’s Voice, Inc., a New Rochelle-based tax-exempt organization named in honor of his autistic son.
Greco was sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing approximately $24,000 from the charity. As part of his plea agreement, Greco paid full restitution to Christopher’s Voice, Inc., and was required to transfer the charity’s remaining funds of $49,750, which includes the restitution, to Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation, a Westchester-based nonprofit that provides long-term care for children with severe medical conditions. Greco’s son is an in-patient resident at the Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center.
Greco is also required to file for the dissolution of Christopher’s Voice, Inc., with the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and is further prohibited from performing charitable activity and accepting any charitable donations while awaiting final dissolvement of the organization.
The defendant admitted in court that he spent money intended for Christopher’s Voice, Inc., on himself and his family for personal purchases made between Jan. 1, 2018 and May 31, 2023 in the form of debit transactions, cash withdrawals and checks written to himself.
The details of how precisely Greco spent the $24,000 are sealed under Grand Jury secrecy laws.
Greco was arrested on Thursday, September 21, 2023, on a charge of Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree. He was issued a Desk Appearance ticket for September 26, 2023. Between his arrest on Thursday and his arraignment on Tuesday, the charge against Greco was upgraded to Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree, a Class D Felony, later reduced to Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, an E Felony.
“After stealing money for more than five years from a charity he founded, this defendant has admitted his wrongdoing,” said Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah. “Thanks to the hard work of our Public Integrity and Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau this defendant is being held accountable for his criminal conduct and betrayal of trust. We were able to secure the return of the stolen funds and insured that they will be used to support a reputable organization that helps children in need.”
The entire basis of the DA investigation was reporting by Robert Cox of Talk of the Sound.
Next Steps?
Now that Greco has admitted stealing money via debit transactions, cash withdrawals and checks written to himself from one non-profit an important question is whether Rocah will investigate the other two non-profits effectively controlled by Greco: Sans Souci Homeowners Association and Sans Pool & Tennis Club?
The criminal investigation into Greco began after a series of 2021 articles by Talk of the Sound on corrupt practices involving residents of the Sans Souci neighborhood including officers of the Sans Souci Homeowners Association and Sans Souci Pool and Tennis Club. Greco was controlled both organizations, installing his cronies on the board, including two convicted felons with a long history of fraud: Phil Colasuonno as Treasurer and Robert Rubicco as a Board Member. Both were serving out their sentences and the time of their appointments.
Colassuono was hauled back into Federal court just last year for failing to complete the terms of his sentence based on our Sans Souci reporting. He owes millions of dollars in restitution to the U.S. Government.
There are troubling questions about a $50,000 bank loan from HSBC based on an allegedly fraudulent and improper co-mingling of assets between Sans Souci Homeowners Association and Sans Pool & Tennis Club.
Greco, a 25-year veteran of the New Rochelle Police Department, retired in August 2021, as a result of an ethics complaint filed by Robert Cox a month earlier.
As New Rochelle PBA President he negotiated a contract with HR Director Christine Dodge, his girlfriend, that reduced benefits for his members but increased benefits for him.
It is difficulty imagine the finances of the PBA under Greco’s leadership would stand up to a forensic audit.
About the time the investigative series on Greco and his cronies in Sans Souci ran in Talk of the Sound, in July 2021, Greco got the attention of DA Rocah the day after the arraignment of New Rochelle Police Detective Michael Vaccaro on charges related to a police brutality video. Greco issued a statement attacking Rocah and “local media” (i.e., Talk of the Sound) going so far as to put Rocah’s email address in his Facebook post.
“Mimi Rocah is a threat to Westchester County residents and to police officers and to their families,” said Greco. “Mimi Rocah is simply bad for Westchester. Handcuffing good cops and weak on real crime — you are now less safe with her in office.”
He described the charges as a “politically motivated referral, politically motivated arrest and continued attack on law enforcement.” He accused Rocah of “hunting cops”.
Rocah fired back at Greco.
“While the New Rochelle PBA is entitled to its view of the facts, there is no place for the type of inflammatory and irresponsible language used which crosses a dangerous line,” she said.
One lesson from Greco’s successful prosecution after sparring with Rocah: do not bring a water pistol to a gunfight.
Another question is whether organizations that were complicit, likely unwittingly, in Greco’s charity fraud will explain themselves and apologize. Each of the organizations that uncritically promoted Greco and those in his orbit, even after serious issues were raised about him and Christopher’s Voice in our 2021 reporting, bear a degree of responsibility for what took place between 2018 and 2023 as described in his plea agreement, starting with the folks at Westchester Magazine but including New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, and others.
Despite the conviction and pending dissultion of Christopher’s Voice, the non-profit web site and Facebook page remain live online.
Part of the Greco plea deal should have been requiring Greco to remove/replace any online presence with a statement describing the terms of the plea deal.
Assistant District Attorney Renée Welker Hassel of the Public Integrity & Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau represented the People.
The investigation by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office came after extensive reporting by Talk of the Sound. For a deeper dive into Greco’s extensive history of malfeasance, CLICK HERE or see related links below.
RELATED:
Media Roundup on Christopher Greco Arrest & Charges
Former New Rochelle PBA President Chris Greco Arraigned on Grand Larceny in New Rochelle City Court
Former NRPD Detective Chris Greco Stole $24,000 from Autism Charity, Say Prosecutors
Series: Nightmare on the Isle of Sans Souci (8/1/21)
Nightmare on the Isle of Sans Souci: Part V — What is Christopher’s Voice?(8/10/21)
GETTING RESULTS: New Rochelle PBA President Christopher Greco Out Next Week at NRPD and NRPBA(8/1/21)
Nightmare on the Isle of Sans Souci: Part IV — Who is Phil Colasuonno?(8/1/21)
New Rochelle Comes to Resolution on PBA Contract (9/18/19)
Who Benefited from New Rochelle PBA Contract at Center of Ethics Investigation? (7/17/21)
New Rochelle Board of Ethics Retains Outside Counsel to Investigate Police Contract Complaint (7/14/21)
Documenting the Many Lies of New Rochelle Police Detectives Michael Vaccaro, Chris Greco and Others(4/3/20)
Silence from New Rochelle’s Elected Leaders on False Narrative from PBA on Police Brutality Video (6/24/21)
New Rochelle PBA Accuses Mayor, City Council of Pandering in Kamal Flowers Shooting Investigation(6/23/20)
Who is Vinny Mirabile IV? – Charitable Fraud? (9/3/17)
Who Is Vincent “Vinny” Mirabile? — Part II (6/30/17)