By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A former head of NYU's chemistry department was indicted for allegedly ripping off the school for $409,000 by submitting fraudulent expenses, including liquor store receipts.
John Runowicz, 47, is accused of submitting 13,000 fraudulent expense requests to the school's Bursar's Office from 2003 to 2009, prosecutors said Wednesday.
He told NYU that the liquor store receipts showed chemistry supply purchases and other legitimate expenses, prosecutors charged.
The purported scheme was discovered through an NYU internal audit and the results were reported to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, according to a statement from the university.
Runowicz was indicted on grand larceny and falsifying business records charges. He faces from five to 15 years in prison if convicted of grand larceny and another 1 1/2 to four for the other charge.
Runowicz was arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court.
