Keenya Lessey, Uniondale charter school aide, charged with filing falsified time sheets costing nearly $11,000

A charter school aide in Uniondale pleaded not guilty to grand larceny charges after she falsely claimed to have worked with a fourth grade special needs student and was paid nearly $11,000 in unentitled wages in 2022, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Keenya Lessey, 48, of Baldwin, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of third-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records after she allegedly falsified time sheets within a four-month period, Donnelly said.

"This defendant allegedly claimed to work with a student, even on days when the student was absent," Donnelly said. "This behavior blatantly disregards the professional trust afforded the defendant and strips resources from those who truly need them."

In December 2021, Lessey was assigned to work with a student with special needs at the Academy Charter School in Uniondale through Horizon Healthcare Staffing, the district attorney said.

The company contracts with the Hempstead Union Free School District to provide certified nursing assistants, aides and paraprofessional services to students.

Lessey was required to submit a weekly time sheet indicating each day and the hours that she worked to receive her wages, Donnelly said.

According to a criminal complaint, between Feb. 7, 2022, and June 24, 2022, Lessey submitted 19 time sheets attesting that she worked at the school between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to assist the student.

However, some of Lessey’s time sheets said she worked on days when school was not in session and closed, including the school’s winter break or days when the student was absent.

According to an investigation, Lessey’s time sheets bore the signature of the school’s director of student service, but the director did not sign the time sheets and did not authorize anyone to sign the time sheets on her behalf, Donnelly said.

In addition, on many days that coincided with time sheets that stated she worked a full day, Lessey sent text messages to school staff saying she would not be present at work, or was on her way to work but did not appear, Donnelly said.

In total, between Feb. 7, 2022, and June 24, 2022, Horizon paid Lessey $10,866 that she was not entitled to receive, Donnelly said. Horizon consequently billed the school district, according to a news release from the district attorney's office.

Lessey surrendered to investigators on Wednesday in Mineola, Donnelly said.

She was released after her arraignment on her own recognizance and is due back in court on Nov. 8.

If convicted, Lessey faces up to 2⅓ to 7 years in prison, Donnelly said. 

Correction: Keenya Lessey worked as a school aide in Uniondale and is from Baldwin. An earlier version of this story misstated the school system.