The director of five Health + Hospital facilities has been accused of funneling $64,000 from the public hospital system to his private accounts, according to authorities who were alerted of the alleged crime thanks to a whistleblower.

Eugene Roberson, 54, is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with public corruption, grand larceny in the second degree, and five counts each of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and Department of Investigation (“DOI”) Commissioner Margaret Garnett jointly announced Monday.

According to Garnett, a city employee tipped off authorities to the alleged corruption that was taking place.

Attorney information for Roberson was not immediately known. NYC Health + Hospital (H+H) did not respond to News 4 New York's request for comment.

In his role as director of contracts for H+H facilities at five New York City hospitals, Roberson managed vendor contracts for 543 Café, also known as “Moonstruck,” and Imperial Parking, also known as “Impark,” which both rent retail space at Bellevue Hospital, according to court documents.

In December 2020, DOI investigators interviewed Roberson about alleged financial improprieties with Imperial Parking, including allegations that Roberson was receiving free parking, according to court documents. He was asked to provide bank documents to support his claim that he was paying for parking at the garage and he subsequently submitted to DOI five alleged forged bank statements from one of his personal bank accounts, which were altered to falsely show payments to the parking garage vendor.

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In addition, other financial records revealed that between March 2018 and June 2021, Roberson deposited 32 rent checks, totaling $64,000, from 542 Café to HHC into his own personal bank accounts, court documents say. Allegedly, he used these funds to pay for personal expenses, such as dining, shopping, travel and rent. However, according to H+H, Roberson did not have permission or authority to deposit the checks into his personal accounts or use the funds for personal use.

“Stewards of City funds must be held to the highest possible ethical standards,” Vance said in a statement. “As alleged, this Director of Contracts shirked his duties and padded his pockets with money intended to pay rent to New York City Health + Hospitals. Together with our partners at DOI, we are committed to ensuring honest dealings in our City agencies, and will continue to sniff out fraud wherever it may be.”

Garnett shared similar sentiments saying she commended the employee who stepped up to report the alleged crime.

“This senior-level, long-time Health + Hospitals (H+H) employee is charged with using public funds as if they were his own, depositing checks meant for H+H into his personal bank account," Garnett said in a statement. "A tip from a City employee started this investigation, underscoring the value of City employees reporting wrongdoing and corruption, as they are mandated to do. I commend this employee for stepping up and doing the right thing. DOI will be working with H+H to strengthen the internal controls that govern the process this defendant exploited, specifically the payment of concessions at H+H hospitals.”