Cortland man slept during caregiver shifts

A Cortland man was found guilty by a Tompkins County jury of sleeping during his caregiver shifts at the Finger Lakes Residential Center in Lansing.

Daniel Cruz, 44, was found guilty of falsifying records, according to a news release from the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of Special Needs Special Prosecutor/Inspector General Patricia E. Gunning.

Video surveillance introduced during the jury trial showed Cruz remained motionless in a chair during his overnight shift and later made false entries in a facility logbook indicating he had conducted required 15-minute bed checks of sleeping residents, according to the news release from the justice center.

“This defendant flouted his responsibilities as a caretaker and put youths at risk by sleeping for hours on the overnight shift,” Gunning said in a statement.

“While we recognize that direct support staff who work the graveyard shift at state facilities need to be supported and safeguards need to be put in place to protect against potential worker fatigue — this defendant chose to treat his workplace as his bedroom.”

Cruz was found guilty April 14 of second-degree tampering with public records, a misdemeanor. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.

Curz was suspended without pay in December, at which time a notice of discipline was issued to seek termination of his employment, the news release stated.