Ex-UB researcher faces jail time after falsifying testimonies

William Fals-Stewart, a former researcher for the UB Research Institute on Addictions, faces criminal charges for allegedly hiring actors to act as witnesses on his behalf at a misconduct hearing.
Fals-Stewart was arrested on Tuesday and charged with attempted grand larceny, three counts of perjury, three counts of identity theft, two counts of offering a false instrument and three counts of falsifying a business record, class C, D and E felonies, respectively.
The maximum permissible sentence is 15 years in prison.
According to representatives from Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo's office, Fals-Stewart 'was exonerated of the misconduct because of the false testimonies, then attempted to seek $4 million from the state by suing UB for monetary damages.'
Fals-Stewart sued UB for damages to his reputation. In response, Cuomo's office began investigating this claim. It was during this time that officials discovered the alleged fraud, which initiated a criminal investigation and forced Fals-Stewart to withdraw his lawsuit.
Allegedly, Fals-Stewart hired professional actors to play real people who were familiar with his research practices. The actors were told by Fals-Stewart that they were partaking in a mock trial.
The actors had no idea they were at a real hearing or even that they were impersonating real people. Fals-Stewart paid them and provided them with scripts, which were full of inaccuracies in regard to his research.
In September 2004, Fals-Stewart, 48, of Eden, was accused of scientific misconduct while working at UB. Fals-Stewart allegedly fabricated data in federally funded research projects. There were discrepancies between the number of volunteers he reported to the National Institute for Drug Addiction for grants and the actual number of volunteers.
Fals-Stewart was also the reason that SUNY found itself under investigation for the misuse of federal research funds. Last September, the university found itself under federal scrutiny after Fals-Stewart complained that the institution was mishandling research money. He filed these complaints after he had been removed from his job at UB and after his misconduct trial.
'The charges in this case allege a pattern of lies and deceit that a public employee used to attempt to defraud New York's taxpayers of millions of dollars,' Cuomo said. 'The brazen crimes allegedly committed by this individual outline a series of frauds that could have damaged our outstanding SUNY system.'
Cuomo also thanked SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and her staff for assisting in the investigation.
Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., assistant state attorney general of the Buffalo office, is prosecuting the case.

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