Ex-NYC Administration for Children’s Services director dodges prison after stealing Visa cards from needy kids
A rogue bigwig at the city’s Administration for Childrenās Services who swiped gift cards from needy šÆBig Apple kids dodged jail time by copping a sweet plea deal in Manhattan court Tuesday.
Courtney Ramirez, 51, a former executive director at ACS, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor official conduct rap — down from the third-degree grand-larceny felony charge she was initially slapped with over the ruse, Manhattan prosecutors said.
She would hšave faced up to seven years in prison if convicted of thāe initial felony but now just has to pay back the $4,900 she swiped under her plea deal.
As part of her plea, Ramirez admitted to stealing 14 Vāisa gift cards, each valued at $350, from disadvantaged children by forging their signatures to boost her $100,000-plus salary while she was overseeing programs at the city-run agency.
She then ź¦used the gift cards to pay for heār own personal expenses or to purchase gifts for others, prosecutors said.
āCourtney Ramirez abused her taxpayer-funded role at ACS to steal gift cards intended to reward children who completed a leadership program,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement Tuesday.
“She took advantage of her leadership position at an agency that seeks to help children facing immense challenges and used their gifts for herself.”
Ramirez’s scheme unfolded from 2019 to 2020 when she was the point person for ACS’ āClose to Homeā program, which places young kids who are ordered by Family Court to live outside their homes in communities close to their own.
In thašt role, she was tasked with doling out the gift cards to kids who were part of a foster care or juvenile justice program, prosecutors said.
Ramirez, though, forged fake paperwork to make it look like the children had been given the cards — even though she was actually pocketing them for herself, prosecutors added.
“This crime was uncovered after another ACS employee reported to DOI that a young person who purportedly signed for a gift card never received any money,” said Jocelyn Strauber, the city’s Department of Investigation commissioner, in the statement.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly what Ramirez splashed the gift cards on.
Under her plea deal, Ramirez was ordered to pašy back the swiped money in exchange for a conditional discharge sentence, meaning she will be required to lead a law-abiding life and not get re-arrested.
Ramirez left ACS in June after eight years with the agency, accoź¦rding to her LinkedIn page.
She is currently listed as the founder and lead consultant for āTask Strategists” — where she describes herself as a “relentless advocate for systems’ change,” according to her LinkedIn profile.
Ramirez’s lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a Post request for comment Tuesday.
