A former emergency medicine doctor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center was sentenced to one to three years in prison on Wednesday after stealing about $1.5 million from the hospital using a business credit card.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, identified the defendant as Dr. Michael Lucchesi, 67, of Staten Island. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree grand larceny on June 13, 2025.
Lucchesi was the chairman of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and at various points was the acting head of Downstate Hospital and the medical school, and was the chief medical officer.
According to the investigation, the defendant spent approximately $1.44 million that included cash advances of approximately $115,000; pet care totaling $176,000 (including $120,000 paid to The Greenleaf Pet Resort & Hotel in New Jersey); $348,000 spent on personal travel; $109,000 in payments to the New York Sports Club for membership and personal training; $92,000 for premium seating for sporting events, concerts and Broadway shows; $52,000 in catering expenses; $46,000 in tuition payments for his children; and assorted payments for online shopping, flowers, liquor, electronics and other items.
“Our state funded hospitals rely on every dollar to provide care to their patients, and it shocks the conscience that a doctor entrusted with caring for our state’s most vulnerable communities would steal them to bankroll his luxury lifestyle," Lang said in a statement. "This case should serve as a stark warning to any public servant who would consider abusing their position of trust for personal gain."
The thefts were discovered by SUNY during an audit.
"This defendant was entrusted with a leadership role at a critical Brooklyn medical institution and violated that trust by stealing nearly $1.5 million," Gonzalez said. "SUNY Downstate does vital, lifesaving work, and these stolen funds could have been used to support patient care and medical services. Instead, they were diverted for personal expenses over a period of years."
The defendant agreed to pay $720,000 in restitution, including $63,926 to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and $656,074 to Downstate Hospital’s clinical practice.
