Michael Lucchesi, MD, former emergency medicine chair and chief medical officer at New York City-based SUNY Downstate, pleaded guilty to stealing about $1.44 million by using a business credit card for personal expenses, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office said in a June 13 news release.
What happened?
From December 2016 to January 2023, Dr. Lucchesi used a University Physicians of Brooklyn credit card for personal purchases.
He pleaded guilty in exchange for a sentence of one to three years in prison. He will repay $720,000: $63,926 to the state tax department immediately, and $656,074 to the hospital on August 6, 2025, when he is sentenced.
His personal purchases included:
- $115,000 in cash advances
- $176,000 on pet care
- $348,000 on travel
- $109,000 for gym memberships and personal training
- $92,000 for VIP event tickets
- $52,000 on catering
- $46,000 in tuition for his children
- Other items like electronics, flowers and liquor
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