By Tiffany Williams –
A senior engineer for New York City Health + Hospitals pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $22,000 in wages, officials announced.
Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Investigation, and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said 35-year-old Nicholas Ruszala of Cranford, New Jersey, was accused of falsifying his timesheets between January 2024 and February 2025, claiming to be at work for 205 hours he never actually worked.
Ruszala, who earns an annual salary of around $146,000 as a Senior Engineer, pled guilty to Petit Larceny in Manhattan Criminal Court and returned the stolen wages totaling $21,985.87. Prosecutors said his role required him to be on-site in Manhattan, and License Plate Reader data showed he was out of the city during hours he claimed to be working.
DOI Commissioner Strauber called the case “a clear example of wage theft” and thanked her team and the Manhattan DA’s office for ensuring the stolen funds were recovered. DA Bragg added that the prosecution “protects City resources and holds those who commit fraud accountable.”