Man Charged With Stealing $3.6M From City Comptroller

In more than a year, a Brooklyn man stole $3.6 million from one of the New York City comptroller's bank accounts, the Manhattan district attorney's office said yesterday.

Tracy Ball, 49, made 604 electronic transfers from the bank account to a jewelry retailer, Jewelry Television, which shipped him diamond earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches, according to investigators.

Even after a year, the comptroller's office did not notice the money was missing from a fund used to pay workers' compensation claims. Jewelry Television noticed that Mr. Ball was making multiple purchases in a day and contacted the bank, JP Morgan, which in turn contacted the comptroller, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney, Jennifer Kushner, said.

A spokeswoman for the comptroller's office did not return calls. Mr. Ball's attorney declined to comment.

Mr. Ball was remanded without bail by a judge last night. A grand jury will weigh a charge of grand larceny in the first degree next Tuesday. If convicted, Mr. Ball faces up to 25 years in prison.

The assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, Andrew Seewald, said it wasn't yet clear how Mr. Ball gained access to the bank account. Mr. Seewald said Mr. Ball had been arrested on a federal charge in the past, but he did not give details.

Mr. Ball worked for a homeless shelter and addiction recovery group in Greenwich Village called Project Renewal and would sometimes have the jewelry shipped to his work address on East 3rd Street in Manhattan, the district attorney's office said.

Investigators charged that Mr. Ball would at times make purchases in bulk. On March 11, for example, he ordered 10 pairs of diamond earrings, 15 diamond necklaces, and 15 gold necklaces in the span of 12 minutes, the district attorney's office said.

When police came to Mr. Ball's house to arrest him, he was watching Jewelry Television on a plasma screen, Mr. Seewald said. Officers recovered $30,000 in cash and about 100 pieces of jewelry.

The judge also gave an order of protection for Mr. Ball's girlfriend last night because Mr. Ball was allegedly asking her to gain access to his bank account.