NYDOT worker from Oceanside charged for alleged theft of scrap metal

A state Department of Transportation worker from Oceanside was charged Monday for allegedly stealing $3,800 worth of scrap metal, including traffic light poles, from a state-owned yard and selling it to a recycling business in Freeport.

Anthony Agornyo, 52, faces charges of third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, and official misconduct.

Agornyo pleaded not guilty Monday and was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court July 17. If convicted, Agornyo faces up to seven years in prison.

He allegedly stole the material on 10 separate dates, between April 15, 2022, and June 10, 2023, from a state Department of Transportation yard in Hauppauge, said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly in a statement.

Many of the dozens of items Agornyo allegedly stole were marked with numbers or words that identified them as NYSDOT property, she said.

Some were marked with “NYS INFORM,” the name of a traffic information system operated by NYSDOT Region 10 on Long Island roadways, Donnelly said. Other pieces included traffic light poles and traffic light cabinets.

Agornyo allegedly transported the stolen scrap metal from the Hauppauge yard in a NYSDOT truck to his home in Oceanside and kept the metal in the vehicle overnight, parked in his driveway, she said.

The next day, he allegedly brought it to the recycling business in Freeport, North Shore Recycling, in the NYSDOT truck and sold it.

“Agornyo allegedly held himself out as being on the job for NYSDOT when he sold the scrap metal at a Freeport recycling business for cash,” Donnelly said. “Public servants have a responsibility to perform their work with integrity and honesty. When their conduct violates the law, we will prosecute them.”

Agornyo surrendered in Mineola on Monday to detective investigators with Donnelly's office.

New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang said in a statement: “State owned property must be diligently monitored to ensure that it used for the good of all New Yorkers. I am grateful to my team at OIG and our partners at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for their shared commitment to holding responsible this state employee and any others who would endeavor to take advantage of public resources for their own benefit.”

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather Kalachman of the Public Corruption Bureau. Agornyo was represented by the Legal Aid Society at arraignment, and could not be reached for comment.

Nassau County DA officials did not identify the recycling business in Freeport.