Ex-facilities director at Empire State College gets probation for $31,000 spree FacebookTwitterEmail New York state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro, seen here in 2013, found that the Empire State College facilities director who served from 2010 until 2019 racked up more than $31,000 in 171 unauthorized purchases on the college's credit card. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) “This individual wasted taxpayer dollars on lavish personal items and abused the public’s trust,” Tagliafierro said in a statement. “We found that he was able to get away with his selfish scheme because of absent supervision and lax controls.John Carl D'Annibale SARATOGA SPRINGS – The ex-facilities director at SUNY Empire State College was sentenced to three years of probation Friday for using the college’s taxpayer-funded credit card to ring up more than $31,000 in unauthorized expenses.