Former Captain of Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Over $14k

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Acting Essex County District Attorney Michael P. Langey, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced the arrest of the former Captain of the Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad, Michael Moran, for allegedly stealing over $14,000 from the Town.

"Moran allegedly diverted resources meant to protect his community into his own pocket," said DiNapoli. "My thanks to Acting District Attorney Langey and the State Police for their continued partnership in fighting corruption."

James said, "Mr. Moran violated the confidence instilled in him by the Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad by disregarding the law and allegedly stealing funds he was not entitled to. We will continue to aggressively investigate any case involving public corruption and those who take advantage of their position at the expense of the community. I applaud the work of the State Police members assigned to this case, the Comptroller's Office, and the Essex County District Attorney's Office for their perseverance and dedicated work that led to this arrest."

Michael Moran, 57, served as Captain of the Town of Moriah Ambulance Squad and also worked for Essex County as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). As Captain of the Squad, Moran was in charge of processing time sheets for payroll, including his own.

After receiving allegations of potential fraud regarding Moran and the Ambulance Squad, the New York State Police contacted DiNapoli's office and a joint investigation commenced. A forensic audit by DiNapoli's investigative team revealed that from December 2023 through March 2025, Moran allegedly inflated the hours he worked for the Squad and also paid himself for nearly 150 hours at the Squad when he had also claimed to be working for the County. Based upon Moran's false submissions, the Town overpaid Moran $14,230 for hours not actually worked including $2,816 for overlapping time.

Moran is no longer employed by the Ambulance Squad or Essex County Emergency Medical Services.

He was charged with grand larceny in the third degree and arraigned before the Honorable Richard Carpenter in the Town of Moriah Court. He is due back in court on October 21.

The charges filed in this case are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.