By Lohr McKinstry
The Press-Republican
MORIAH, N.Y. — The former captain of the Moriah Ambulance Squad has been charged with stealing more than $14,000 from the group.
Michael Moran, 57, of Moriah ,was released on his own recognizance after arraignment before Town Justice Richard Carpenter, to await further action in Moriah Town Court.
State Police charged him with felony third-degree grand larceny for allegedly falsifying time sheets so he was be paid $14,230 for time he did not work.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said State Police received a tip that Moran was engaged in theft, and his office conducted a forensic audit of the squad’s financial records.
“Moran allegedly diverted resources meant to protect his community into his own pocket,” DiNapoli said in a news release. “My thanks to ( Essex County ) District Attorney (Michael) Langey and the State Police for their continued partnership in fighting corruption.”
Moran was captain of the Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad and also worked for Essex County as an Emergency Medical Technician at the squad’s station. As captain of the squad, Moran was in charge of processing time sheets for payroll, including his own.
Moran is no longer affiliated with the ambulance squad or employed by Essex County Emergency Services, DiNapoli said.
A forensic audit by DiNapoli’s investigative team revealed that from December 2023 through March 2025, Moran allegedly inflated the hours he worked for the squad and also paid himself for nearly 150 hours at the squad when he had also claimed to be working for the county during the same time, the release said.
“Based upon Moran’s false submissions, the town overpaid Moran $14,230 for hours not actually worked, including $2,816 for overlapping time,” the release said.
This is the second time since 2009 that a squad official has been accused of stealing from the group.
In May 2009 , a 38-year-old Witherbee woman was sentenced to two to six years in state prison for stealing $9,600 from the Moriah Ambulance Squad while serving as squad treasurer. She pleaded guilty in Essex County Court and admitted to writing herself checks on the squad’s bank account that were used for personal items such as a car.
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James also weighed in on the Moran case.
“Mr. Moran violated the confidence instilled in him by the Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad by disregarding the law and allegedly stealing funds he was not entitled to,” James said in the release. “We will continue to aggressively investigate any case involving public corruption and those who take advantage of their position at the expense of the community. I applaud the work of the State Police members assigned to this case, the Comptroller’s Office, and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office for their perseverance and dedicated work that led to this arrest.”
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