Michael Mashburn
August 6, 2025
A former Brooklyn hospital executive who stole nearly $1.5 million in public funds—including more than $170,000 on pet care—has been sentenced to up to three years in prison.
Michael Lucchesi, 67, the former Chairman of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 6, to an indeterminate term of one to three years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree grand larceny.
Lucchesi admitted to using a business credit card for personal expenses, racking up approximately $1.44 million in unauthorized spending between December 2016 and January 2023.
Among the charges:
- $176,000 on pet care, including $120,000 paid to The Greenleaf Pet Resort & Hotel in Millstone, New Jersey
- $348,000 on personal travel
- $109,000 to New York Sports Club
- $92,000 for premium tickets to concerts, sports games, and Broadway shows
- $52,000 on catering
- $46,000 in tuition payments
- Plus expenses for online shopping, liquor, flowers, and electronics
Lucchesi held several leadership positions at SUNY Downstate, including Chief Medical Officer and acting head of both the hospital and its medical school.
The thefts were uncovered during an internal audit by SUNY’s own auditors, who then alerted state authorities.
In addition to prison time, Lucchesi agreed to pay $720,000 in restitution, including $63,926 to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and $656,074 to Downstate Hospital’s clinical practice group, prosecutors said.
“SUNY Downstate does vital, lifesaving work, and these stolen funds could have been used to support patient care and medical services. Instead, they were diverted for personal expenses over a period of years, said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales.
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang also weighed in, saying “it shocks the conscience that a doctor entrusted with caring for our state’s most vulnerable communities would steal them to bankroll his luxury lifestyle.”
“This case should serve as a stark warning to any public servant who would consider abusing their position of trust for personal gain,” Lang said.
