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Woodstock Times - Features | 8/27/2009 |
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Missing money
Woodstock police officer, Onteora secretary charged in thefts |
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by George Pattison
In separate cases, a Woodstock police detective and an Onteora High School clerical worker have been charged with grand larceny, a felony, following the discovery that funds were missing from bank accounts they supervised. Neither alleged theft involved public funds collected from taxpayers.
Christopher Howland, a 13-year veteran of the Woodstock Police Department, is accused of stealing more than $20,000 over a two-year period from the local Police Benevolent Association, a charitable organization composed mainly of town police officers. Howland had served as the PBA's vice president and treasurer, said Woodstock police chief Harry Baldwin in an August 24 interview.
Following his recent arraignment and release at Hurley Town Court, Howland was placed on administrative leave from the Woodstock Police Department, "pending further investigation," said Baldwin. According to Baldwin, placing Howland on paid administrative leave - the detective reportedly earns about $47,000 a year - was the chief's only recourse under labor law. "I suspect that (the paid administrative leave) will be relatively short-lived," said Baldwin, noting that the Woodstock Town Board has the authority to suspend the officer without pay.
Howland, a Kingston resident, did not return a call seeking comment. No date has been set for his next court appearance. Baldwin described Howland as "an outstanding employee" who had received several commendations for his work. Howland's employment record contained no blemishes suggesting dishonesty. Said the chief: "I never had any question about his integrity. It's a shame."
The PBA raises funds through events, raffles, and mailings requesting donations, said Baldwin. In turn, the PBA donates money to support endeavors such as the local Christmas Eve gathering, annual fireworks display, and a sledding party; it contributes to organizations like Toys for Tots, soup kitchens, and hurricane relief agencies, according to the chief. All Woodstock police officers are full members of the PBA, while other town employees, including members of the highway and emergency dispatch departments, are associate members of the organization.
At a given time, said the chief, the PBA's bank account might have a balance ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. In the aftermath of the alleged theft, the balance is between $2,000 and $3,000. "This is very upsetting," Baldwin said. "It's bad for all of us, as members of the PBA. We hope to recover as much of the money as possible."
Following an internal investigation by the Woodstock police, the case was turned over to the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Baldwin declined to discuss details of the matter pending the outcome of the BCI probe, but confirmed that a review of banking transactions by "ranking members of the PBA" disclosed irregularities that led them to contact their supervisors in the Woodstock Police Department. The supervisors brought the matter to the attention of Baldwin, who relayed the information to the BCI. "I didn't feel that it was appropriate for our department to conduct a full investigation," he said.
$9,000 missing at Onteora
In the Onteora case, Elizabeth Sopata, a secretary at the high school, was charged on August 4 with felony grand larceny and misdemeanor forgery and falsifying business records, in connection with the disappearance of more than $9,000 in funds raised by student groups, according to a published report citing statements by a BCI investigator.
Leslie Ford, superintendent of the Onteora Central School District, confirmed the broad outline of the case in an August 25 interview. Because court action is pending, however, she declined to discuss details, including the name of the accused employee. Sopata was reportedly released without bail after the charges were lodged. Sopata could not be reached for comment because no listed phone number under her name was found.
Ford described the accused as a "longtime" Onteora employee, who had worked for the district for between five and 13 years. The superintendent declined to discuss the employee's record of service with the district. Although the district's website lists Sopata's title as "high school typist," Ford noted that the district "some time ago" placed typists - a Civil Service designation - in secretarial positions. Accordingly, said Ford, the employee in question was most recently serving as the secretary to the high school principal.
The superintendent said that, until recently, it was typical for secretaries to collect and deposit checks and cash obtained at fund-raising events organized by student groups such as athletic teams, the senior class, and the business club, mostly from the middle and high schools. Such funds were deposited into so-called extracurricular accounts, or ECAs, and were not commingled with taxpayer funds applied to the operation of the school district, which were kept in separate accounts, said Ford.
A recent audit revealed that money was missing from an ECA. The alleged theft reportedly occurred between July 2008 and March 2009. In the wake of the audit, said Ford, the district eliminated supervision of ECAs from the job description of secretaries and assigned responsibility for receiving and depositing funds to the district treasurer.
Working in concert with the Board of Education, an internal auditor routinely examines the financial status of district departments, such as transportation and personnel. Ford described the audits as "a risk analysis of all operations; a cyclical checking mechanism to see if our systems are working well." It was such an investigation that led to the discovery of discrepancies in an ECA.++
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