New York Daily News

$600G Baruch College plunder

Ex-hoops coach busted 6 years of embezzling

- BY VICTORIA BEKIEMPIS

A FORMER Baruch College basketball coach embezzled $600,000 and spent the money to pay his personal debts, prosecutor­s allege.

Machli Joseph, 42, rented out gym space when it wasn’t being used — but the money didn’t go to Baruch College, because he directed the funds to “entities with bank accounts over which Joseph had personal control, some of which merely sounded like Baruch-affiliated entities,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office said in a statement.

“On several occasions, Joseph simply directed that payment be made directly to himself or individual associates of his,” the feds said.

The Elizabeth, N.J., resident used a lot of the money on personal expenses, such as home renovation­s, according to the feds.

Some of the checks drawn from accounts in the scheme were written for expenses including “housekeepi­ng,” “storage space” and “roofing” as well as a “birthday event” for his wife.

Other checks were made out for items such as “dry cleaning,” books for one of Joseph’s family members, portraits, “day care” and “landscapin­g,” the feds said.

Joseph also used some of the funds to pay off credit cards and cover his mortgage payments, according to the criminal complaint.

He made the payments “on numerous occasions” from 2010 to 2016, the feds said.

Joseph worked in Baruch’s athletic department from 2002 to 2016 — including as the women’s basketball head coach from 2004 to 2014 and as associate athletic director from 2011 to last August.

And as an administra­tor, Joseph “had sole control over those gym rentals and their scheduling,” the statement from Bharara’s office said.

“Machli Joseph, Baruch College’s former basketball coach, allegedly drew up his own game plan for fraud, stealing more than half a million dollars meant for the college that he instead spent on himself,” Bharara said. “Embezzling money from a public college is no game, and for allegedly taking criminal advantage of his control over Baruch’s basketball courts, Joseph will now face federal charges in a court of law.”

The state inspector general and U.S. Department of Education’s Northeast inspector general’s office investigat­ed the case with Bharara’s office.

Joseph, who was charged with one count of embezzleme­nt and misapplica­tion concerning a program receiving federal funds, faces up to 10 years in federal lockup.

“Mr. Joseph intends to show that he not the person the government makes him out to be,” his lawyer, Sabrina Shroff said.

“I am disturbed by this betrayal of trust, and will take further steps to improve oversight,” Baruch College President Mitchel Wallerstei­n stated.

“We are disappoint­ed that an employee would allegedly perpetrate a criminal theft of financial resources that are so critical to our students’ success.

“We support the U.S. attorney’s intention to prosecute this case to the full extent allowed by law,” Wallerstei­n concluded.

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 ??  ?? Ex-basketball coach Machli Joseph (above) took money meant for various programs at Baruch College (left) and used it for his own gain, feds charge.
Ex-basketball coach Machli Joseph (above) took money meant for various programs at Baruch College (left) and used it for his own gain, feds charge.

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