Massena man admits to stealing from Coast Guard

A former member of the U.S. Coast Guard admitted Monday in U.S. District Court in Syracuse that he received $12,000 by improperly representing his employer.

Patrick M. O’Brien, Massena, pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with theft of government monies. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. He was indicted July 26.

According to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office, Mr. O’Brien said he improperly received more than $12,000 for mileage reimbursement claims by falsely alleging he conducted 75 shore patrols along the St. Lawrence River from October 2006 to March 2007.

He was released on his own recognizance pending sentencing scheduled for July 13.

Mr. O’Brien was charged in March 2010 with third-degree grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing.

According to a report from the Times, a state senior unemployment insurance investigator alleged Mr. O’Brien stole $4,378 from the state Department of Labor by making false statements to qualify for unemployment benefits between June 2010 and Aug. 23, 2010. He allegedly failed to inform the department that he was employed.