The school custodian really cleaned house

BY Rachel Monahan
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, March 4th 2010, 4:00 AM

The school custodian really cleaned house, officials
say.

The Manhattan man is accused of stealing nearly
$30,000 from the city to pay his sons' private
school tuition and other personal expenses, city
investigators said Wednesday.

Edwin Hendricks, 42, worked for nearly five years at
Manhattan's Thurgood Marshall Academy before
investigators discovered he was cutting checks from
his custodial account.

And Hendricks did himself no favors when
confronted by investigators.

He told them he "normally only stole money around
the end of the year" when they asked about $4,000
in checks he'd written to employees - including his
sister - and cashed himself around Christmas 2008.

Hendricks also compared himself favorably with a
custodian who stole $100,000 from the city. "At
least I'm not as bad," he told investigators.

The custodian claimed he intended to reimburse the
city for the $1,400 made out to Solebury School in
Pennsylvania, as well as for a $150 political

donation to the Committee to Reelect Congressman
Ed Towns.

Hendricks said he was willing to reimburse the city
for the money and ultimately admitted to taking $
14,000, though investigators think he collected
$15,000 more.

Hendricks, who makes $86,000 a year, has been
reassigned to a borough office and did not return a
call seeking comment.

"We will seek his termination," said city Education
Department spokeswoman Margie Feinberg.

rmonahan@nydailynews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/03/04/2010-03-04_custodians_rap_cleaned_city_out_of_30g.html.