Exclusive: Alleged Harrison Food Pantry Heist Caught On Video
HARRISON, N.Y. (CBS 2) -- They are public employees who allegedly helped themselves to donated food and clothing at a Westchester County food pantry.
CBS 2's Lou Young got an exclusive look Tuesday at a video in the case of an incident that sparked a series of arrests in Harrison.
The video shows what one law enforcement source called the worst kind of municipal corruption -- self-entitled public employees helping themselves to food donated to the poor.
"The town will not tolerate dishonesty," Harrison Mayor Joan Walsh said.
The video is CBS 2's first look at the alleged Harrison food pantry thefts, featuring 91-year-old Florence D'Imperio, a longtime director of the town's Meals-on-Wheels program.
She didn't come to the door when Young stopped by at her home Tuesday afternoon.
The Harrison mayor said the video hurt her the most.
"People relied on her, alright? And people would when she called and said could you help me out? They'd say of course, it's you, Flo, so we'll do it and that trust was just blasted," Walsh said.
The pantry opens to the public the last Thursday and Friday of each month and by appointment on an emergency basis, but the town employees caught in video allegedly used the place at other times as their own private grocery store in which everything was free. They allegedly saw some of the donations, liked what they saw, and helped themselves.
The video shows two public works employees, one on the phone as if he's taking orders. They are seen picking through the shelves and loading up boxes before they leave.
Then there was the town temp worker who is seen allegedly hitting the clothing donations.
In an odd twist the publicity surrounding the thefts has given the once struggling pantry a boost in donations and clients.
"It was pretty traumatic when it was going down and this is joyous right now," said Nina Maraccini of Harrison Community Services.
New security is designed to keep the extra donations in the pantry until the poor can get to them. The defendants in the case are due back in court next week.
Two of the defendants resigned after their arrests. The other four were fired.
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