A John Jay College of Criminal Justice accounts-payable manager is accused of quietly siphoning off hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for student stipends and using the money for herself, according to state prosecutors.
The employee, identified in court papers as Cadelie Neat, was indicted Tuesday on charges alleging she diverted roughly $710,000 intended for participants in the college’s APPLE Corps stipend program. Neat pleaded not guilty and was released after her arraignment in Manhattan, a judge ordered.
Allegations from the indictment
According to New York Post, prosecutors say Neat wrote and cashed more than 260 fraudulent checks that should have gone to students in the program. Many of those checks were allegedly mailed to her Suffolk County home, then deposited at ATMs in Manhattan.
The outlet reports that, per the indictment, Neat funneled the funds into personal accounts and spent the money on travel, dining, and home repairs rather than on the student stipends the checks were supposed to cover.
College program targeted
The checks were tied to John Jay’s APPLE Corps initiative, which the college says provides up to $15,000 in stipends over four years to students pursuing careers in public service, according to John Jay College.
John Jay’s accounts-payable directory lists Cadelie R. Neat as the college’s accounts-payable manager, and her name appears on the department’s page, John Jay College shows. Prosecutors say that role gave her access to the student payments she is now accused of diverting.
Charges and penalties
The indictment covers alleged thefts between December 2018 and April 2026 and charges Neat with grand larceny and identity theft, court papers show, according to New York Post.
The paper reports that state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said the defendants “engaged in elaborate schemes to allegedly divert taxpayer money from worthy programs into their own pockets,” and it notes that co-defendants also face related counts in the case. If convicted, Neat faces up to 15 years in prison, the outlet says.
Local context
Public-sector bookkeeping fraud has been getting extra attention from New York investigators in recent months, with several cases centering on fake invoices and rerouted checks.
In a separate case, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office recently brought an indictment alleging a $76 million phantom-invoice plot, highlighting the broader scrutiny now aimed at financial misconduct involving public and institutional funds.
What is next
Neat’s case remains pending in New York courts following her arraignment. Prosecutors will have to prove the charges at trial, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
