Amsterdam News Staff
The ex-wife of disgraced former New York Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. might meet a fate similar to his.
Last week, Kamaria Alfattah surrendered to police and was charged with grand larceny for stealing almost a quarter of a million dollars from the communications firm for which she worked.
Police sources told the New York Daily News that Alfattah pilfered $240,000 from Thebigword Translation Services, a communications firm located in lower Manhattan. Alfattah is accused of making unauthorized purchases with a company credit card and using company checks made out to petty cash. She’s being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
“Kamaria Alfattah was terminated for violation of company policy,” read a statement by Thebigword. “The matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities. The company is fully cooperating with the authorities in their ongoing investigation.”
Alfattah had been with the company for just over a year as a U.S. financial controller.
Last week, Boyland was sentenced to 14 years in prison for seeking to take bribes from a carnival promoter and two undercover FBI agents posing as real estate investors. As part of his sentence, Boyland was ordered to forfeit $169,410.14 and pay separate restitution of $71,339.66 to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. He was also ordered to pay an additional $84,270.48 to the New York State Office of the Aging.
“As he demonstrated time and again, Boyland, a lawmaker himself, lacked any respect for either the law or his constituents who elected him,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly Currie the day of Boyland’s sentencing. “Officials who would seek to sell the power and influence of their office to the highest bidder are on notice that they will be held to account for their crimes.”
According to court papers, defense attorneys argued that Boyland didn’t commit any worse offenses than other elected officials doing jail time. Prosecutors countered by showing how Boyland continued to accept bribes while under indictment in a separate federal case and cited it as a display of his “arrogance.”