After former clerk charged with stealing over $1.1M, Addison changes village procedures

The Addison Village Board recently implemented policies and procedures to prevent theft within the village, after a former Village of Addison clerk/treasurer was accused of stealing more than $1.17 million in village funds over at least a 19-year period.

Addison Village Mayor Rob Miles said the plan includes a minimum of two signatures on every village check, reducing the number of bank accounts used by the village, installing cash management and investment policies, enforcement of a procurement policy and timekeeping policy, and the village trustees signing for every dollar and cent leaving the village.

Miles declined to answer questions about the investigation by the New York State Comptroller's Office into the alleged scheme of taking money from the village for personal gain by former clerk/treasurer Ursula Stone, 55, of Addison.

“I cannot comment on the case because it is still an ongoing investigation,” Miles said. “The village attorney has advised (me and village trustees) not to comment on the impact it has had to the village or the investigation.”

Former Addison official charged with grand larceny, more

Stone allegedly used her position to take village money by filing false documents to complete the thefts and prevent their discovery.

Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker alleged Stone used complicated schemes to cover her work until it was discovered by the New York State Comptroller's Office.

Stone was charged with 192 counts, the most severe being first-degree grand larceny, a class B felony, for stealing more than $1.1 million, Baker said. Other charges include money laundering, public corruption and falsifying business records.

More: Former Addison village clerk stole more than $1 million over 19 years, comptroller says

Comptroller's Office officials said the scheme added fiscal stress to the village, with taxes rising every year during the duration of the alleged theft.

“While she allegedly lined her pockets over those years, my office and their financial and fiscal evaluations found Addison to be in fiscal stress operating on a shoestring budget, and taxes rose for the taxpayers every single year during that period she was allegedly stealing,” said Nelson Sheingold, counsel to the New York State Comptroller.

Former Addison mayor: 'I still can't believe it'

The Comptroller's Office began an audit of the village in 2022. Investigators discovered that checks payable to the village were not deposited into the village’s accounts. Stone allegedly converted the checks to certified bank checks and cashed them, according to investigators.

Additionally, investigators allege Stone gave herself unauthorized pay raises, took time off without deducting it from her leave credits and wrote herself checks for unauthorized health insurance buyouts from village funds.

Former Addison Village Mayor Ray Walch said he was surprised to learn of the charges and the scope of the alleged theft.

"I said, 'Holy mackerel'," Walch recalled. "I just couldn’t believe it."

Walch served as Addison Village Mayor from 2007-23, overlapping with much of Stone's tenure. Stone began working for the village in 1997 and resigned last March.

“Nobody knew,” Walch said. “It even took the State Comptroller’s Office a long time to figure it out. It didn’t show up on any of the accounts that the Village Board received. It was hidden in a new account.”

More: Addison mayor resigns amid NY audit, cites 'poor practices'

Walch said creating a new system to prevent future issues, and not leaving village finances to one person, are very important changes for the village.

“It will improve the safety of anything like this happening in Addison again,” Walch said. “Doing something to not have the clerk be the only one with access to the banking accounts is very important. I still can’t believe it when I see that number that was taken from the village.”

DA will seek restitution if former clerk is found guilty

Stone was arrested in early November by New York State Police and seen in front of a Steuben County Judge last week, Baker said. She entered a not guilty plea and was taken to the Steuben County Jail on $20,000 cash bail.

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard said the bail was posted.

None of the money Stone allegedly stole has been recovered, Baker said. If Stone is found guilty, the Steuben County District Attorney’s Office will seek restitution to get the funds back.

This article originally appeared on The Leader: Addison changes policies after former treasurer charged with theft