Ex-Rikers Officer Accused of Using Dead Doctor’s Name in Fake Sick Leave Scheme, DA Says

Queens, NY — A former Rikers Island correction officer collected more than $13,000 in pay while allegedly submitting dozens of fake medical notes—including one from a doctor who had already died—to justify extended sick leave, prosecutors said Thursday. The case outlines a months-long pattern of falsified documentation that officials say exploited city policies meant to manage employee health absences. James Wilson, 46, of Staten Island, was arraigned on multiple charges, including grand larceny and 50 counts of offering a false instrument for filing, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Dozens of fake medical visits alleged Prosecutors say Wilson submitted at least 50 falsified medical documents claiming he received treatment across several clinics in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens throughout 2022. The paperwork included letters on official letterhead from multiple practices, indicating he had been treated repeatedly between January and November of that year. Investigators later determined that none of the visits actually occurred and that the medical providers did not authorize the documents. One detail stood out: Wilson allegedly submitted notes attributed to a physician who had died months before the supposed treatment dates. Paid leave tied to documentation At the time, Wilson was employed as a correction officer