DiNapoli: Former Clerk Admits to Stealing Village Funds
The former clerk-treasurer in the Steuben County village of Riverside was arrested last week and charged with stealing more than $40,000 in village funds, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced.
Kristina Johnson, 35, appeared in Bath Village Court where she was charged with grand larceny in the third degree and two counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The case stems from an ongoing audit and investigation by DiNapoli’s office in partnership with the New York State Police and Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker.
“For more than two years, this individual flagrantly stole taxpayer dollars,” said DiNapoli. “She violated her duties as a public servant by writing herself extra payroll checks, pocketing cash and misusing the village credit card. I thank District Attorney Baker and the New York State Police for holding this individual accountable for her actions.”
In her position as clerk-treasurer, Johnson was able to write herself extra paychecks, give herself a raise and steal water and sewer payments. She used official village credit cards for her private expenses including her cell phone bill, gasoline and online dating at Match.com. Johnson, who currently resides in North Carolina, was terminated by the village in February.
DiNapoli’s audit of the village is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information on this matter or any other public corruption is encouraged to contact the Comptroller’s office by dialing the toll-free fraud hotline at 1-888-672-4555; filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.state.ny.us or mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller Investigations Unit, 110 State Street, 14th floor, Albany, NY 12236.