Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata today announced the indictment of YAKIK RUMLEY, 51, for allegedly stealing $128,142.12 from the NYC Employees’ Retirement System (“NYCERS”) by depositing his mother’s pension checks for two years after her death. RUMLEY is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Identity Theft in the First Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, among other charges.
“As alleged, Yakik Rumley went to great lengths to fraudulently collect his deceased mother’s pension benefits, including impersonating her voice on multiple calls to NYCERS,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Our city’s employees work hard and deserve to know their savings are safeguarded. I thank Commissioner Shihata and the Department of Investigation for their commitment to protecting the integrity of our city’s pension system.”
DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata said, “As charged, this defendant allegedly forged his deceased mother’s signature on pension checks, and impersonated her on phone calls, so he could illegally obtain more than $128,000 in pension funds. Exploiting the City pension system for personal gain undermines the system’s integrity and drains essential funds meant to support City workers who served the public — it is a serious crime. I thank NYCERS for referring this matter to DOI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership in safeguarding New York City’s pension system.”
As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, RUMLEY fraudulently submitted forms to NYCERS and deposited checks issued to his mother for two years after she died, to obtain benefits he was not entitled to receive. In total, between September 2023 and April 2025, RUMLEY deposited 20 NYCERS pension benefits checks totaling $128,142.12 into his personal accounts.
To further his theft, RUMLEY allegedly submitted forms purporting to be his mother to NYCERS and forged her signature on pension checks. In March 2025, he sought a reissue of a lost check, and in June 2025, he falsely verified that his mother was still alive. RUMLEY also called NYCERS’s Call Center fifteen times, often impersonating his mother’s voice.
Assistant D.A.s Imran Ahmed (Senior Investigative Counsel) and Thomas Reilly are handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Jeffrey Levinson (Deputy Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau), Michael Ohm (Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau) and Judy Salwen (Deputy Chief of the Investigation Division), and Executive Assistant D.A. Jodie Kane (Chief of the Investigation Division).
Senior Investigator Anzor Kurashvili, Discovery Analyst Arlinda Xhuveli, Investigative Analyst Christina Rose, and Associate Financial Investigator Philip DeFalco are providing valuable assistance in this case.
The investigation was conducted by Confidential Investigator Vera Isakova of DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for NYCERS, under the supervision of Assistant Inspector General Jeffrey Freeman, Deputy Inspector General Aleksandro Tilka, Inspector General Ann Petterson, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Michael P. Mullahy and Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan.
Defendant Information
YAKIK RUMLEY
New York, NY
Charged:
- Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
- Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, two counts
- Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
- Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony, two counts
- Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, two counts
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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.