In recent weeks, two figures in the Roslyn Schools embezzlement scandal have either pled guilty to certain charges or received actual jail terms.

Tuesday, Feb. 28 was to have been the sentencing date for Dr. Frank A. Tassone, the longtime superintendent of the district. However, the sentencing hearing has been postponed. The new date is Monday, March 27. The sentencing will take place at Judge Alan Honoroff's chambers, located in the West Wing of the first floor of the County Court Building, 252 Old Country Road, Mineola.

County officials gave no explanation for the postponement. Dr. Tassone has already pled guilty to grand larceny charges. It was expected that, when sentenced, he would receive a jail term of 4 to 12 years. Dr. Tassone has already agreed to make $2 million in restitution to the school district.

In late February, a group of prominent Roslyn area citizens, all of them presidents of various civic associations, signed an open letter, one sent to Angela Gormly, a probation officer with the Nassau County Probation Department.

The letter requests that Dr. Tassone "be given the strongest sentence possible under the law for the scandalous crimes he committed against the students, parents and taxpayers of the Roslyn School District."

"His alleged cooperation has been a moot point since Pamela Gluckin has already acknowledged her criminal acts when she admitted to the initial $250,000 obvious and easily provable," the letter continued. "Francis A. Tassone not only condoned but participated in the same and similar criminal actions. Although, Francis A. Tassone is making substantial restitution of what he was alleged to have stolen, (however, not for those allocations which he mismanaged or neglected, which as we now know is far more) we believe that nothing short of a maximum sentence would be satisfactory to this community.

"The Roslyn School District community will never retrieve nor have restitution made equal to the amount stolen," the letter further stated. "Add to this the shame and humiliation brought upon this school district. It is apparent to this community that the State has not exhausted every conceivable avenue to prevent Tassone's unjust enrichment from a system that he systematically and calculatingly looted. We understand that the State at this time has no legal jurisdiction to "strip" an official convicted of wrongdoing from collecting his pension but we are not aware of any single state or federal provision that prevents an individual from voluntarily relinquishing contractual rights to money and benefits. We ask that you give this suggestion some consideration as well.

"Given the length of the sentence negotiated with the district attorney and adjudicated by Judge Alan Honorof, 4-12 years, we calculate that Francis A. Tassone could be out at the earliest within four years and will begin collecting his pension while in jail the minute he reaches the age stipulated in his pension plan," the letter claimed. "During the course of his remaining years he will have collected from the Roslyn School District to a tune in excess of $2 million, affronting the community even further, a clear travesty of justice. Frank Tassone has left this community fractured and emotionally scarred. That is the actual injury to this community.

"Therefore, we urge you to seek the maximum allowable sentence in this case, the largest looting of a school district ever, in the nation's history," the letter concluded. "Francis A. Tassone has made an educationally famous community, infamous forever. We implore you to rewrite a different history; setting the moral precedent for all school districts nationwide, restore some sense of dignity to this community, and public confidence in the judicial system."

The letter was signed by Judi Winters, president, Strathmore at East Hills Civic Association; Hilda Yohalem, president, Norgate Civic Association; Carmen Krauss, president, Red Ground Civic Association; Chris Cavaliere, president, Roslyn Heights Civic Association: Jamie Corn, president, Lakeville Civic Association; Ann Cohen Rombom, president, Country Estates Civic Association; John Fabio, former Town of North Hempstead councilman, president, Greenvale Civic Association; and Elise Benatar, president, Marchant Park Civic Association.

In recent months, both Stephen Signorelli and Andrew Miller received jail terms for their involvement in the scandal. Signorelli pled guilty to grand larceny charges, an infraction that comes with a jail term of one to three years.

In late January, Andrew Miller was sentenced to four months in jail and five years probation for his role as a former partner of Miller, Lilly & Pearce, LLP, the certified public accountant who was the audit partner for the Roslyn School District.

In November 2005, Miller pled guilty to Tampering with Public Records.