The former director of facilities for the Lawrence Union Free School District (LUFSD)w and a co-conspirator were indicted for a more than $2 million scheme in which they allegedly used the director’s influence and knowledge to steer emergency HVAC and other lucrative contracts to a company they incorporated and shared the profits from the business over a one-year period.
Between April 7, 2023, and May 23, 2024, Scott Unger, the school district’s facilities director, and Joseph Greenblatt allegedly created and operated a corporation, SDF Service Plus, Inc., to obtain public works contracts from the LUFSD and disguised Unger’s financial interest in SDF, which would have prohibited the company from contracting with the school district.
The defendants’ conduct allegedly resulted in the LUFSD awarding contracts to SDF for various services in excess of $2 million and payments to Unger specifically in excess of $184,000.
Unger began his employment with the LUFSD as director of facilities on October 17, 2022. At that time, Hi Tech Air Conditioning Service, Inc. held contracts for services at several LUFSD buildings for HVAC installation and service projects.
Shortly after Unger assumed oversight of the project, he allegedly caused the LUFSD to withhold payment and ignored repeated attempts by Hi Tech to seek payment for work it already performed. Eventually, in February 2023, Hi Tech refused to perform further work for the school district because of non-payment.
On May 16, 2023, allegedly at Unger’s request, the LUFSD Board of Education passed a resolution declaring that the dispute between Hi Tech and the school created an immediate need for HVAC repair and installation at the school buildings and an emergency contracting process began pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 103(4) which stated that the emergency was such that it “cannot await competitive bidding or competitive offering.”
After the resolution passed, Unger hired SDF to take over the contract for HVAC services.
Before being awarded the emergency contract, SDF had performed no work for any other customer and did not perform any work after its contract with LUFSD. The company had no liability or Workers’ Compensation insurance. For the LUFSD project, SDF hired employees that had previously worked on the same project for Hi Tech.
Unger allegedly used his position as the facilities director to expedite payments from the LUFSD to SDF, and at his request, checks from the school district were not mailed to SDF, but instead, given directly to Unger, who deposited the payments into SDF’s bank account.
The investigation also showed that Unger conducted business operations for SDF, including allegedly creating the company’s email address, drafting SDF business records, and managing SDF’s payroll, as well as hiring an accountant for the company.
Unger is also alleged to have manipulated the bidding process to ensure that only SDF would be awarded bids which Unger fixed the pricing and prepared specifications for in advance.
Between July 28, 2023, and December 29, 2023, Greenblatt wrote five checks to Scott Mitchell Management, Inc., a shell company incorporated and controlled by Unger, for sums ranging from $22,320 to $77,945. These payments represented approximately 18% of the payments made by the school district to SDF, which is consistent with Hi Tech’s mark-up on their labor rate.
On December 29, 2023, SDF issued a check to SMM for $77,945. Eight days after the funds were deposited into the SMM account, Unger allegedly purchased a 2024 Kia Telluride with an SMM check for $61,123 and registered the vehicle in his name.
Unger also allegedly withdrew large sums of cash from SDF’s bank account with Greenblatt’s approval.
From June 9, 2023, to April 15, 2024, the LUFSD made payments totaling $2,050,205 to SDF.
Unger was suspended pending investigation in May 2024 and submitted his resignation in November 2024.
The LUFSD Board of Education terminated SDF in July 2024.
The defendants surrendered to NCDA Detective Investigators on June 4, 2025.
NCDA’s Civil Forfeiture Unit seized Unger’s 2024 Kia Telluride and froze multiple bank accounts under the control of Unger and Greenblatt, including an SDF account that held approximately $238,000 in an asset forfeiture action.
Unger, 65, of Long Beach, was arraigned on June 4 before Judge Robert Schwartz on grand jury indictment charges of Corrupting the Government in the First Degree (a Class B felony); Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (a Class E felony); six counts of Official Misconduct (a Class A misdemeanor); and a violation of General Municipal Law Section 803(1) Disclosure of Interest.
Greenblatt, 59, of Island Park, was also arraigned today before Schwartz on grand jury indictment charges of Corrupting the Government in the First Degree; Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree; and one count of Official Misconduct.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance. They face up to 8-1/3 to 25 years in prison respectively if convicted. They are due back in court on July 28, 2025.
“Scott Unger decided he wanted a bigger payday from his new position directing facility operations at the Lawrence School District and allegedly, with the help of his co-conspirator Joseph Greenblatt, twisted the district’s contracting process to fit his needs and line both of their pockets,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “People enter public service because they want to benefit their communities, but the only individuals benefiting from this fraud were the defendants, and my office will hold them accountable for their alleged deception.”