In a shocking breach of public trust, Ursula Stone, a former village clerk in Addison, New York, has been accused of embezzling over $1 million in village funds over a period of 19 years. This staggering amount is equivalent to the entire annual budget of the town. Stone, 55, has now become the first politician to surrender her pension under New York’s anti-corruption law.
Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker expressed his astonishment, stating, “This case represents the most complete, and to be frank – shocking, breach of public trust I have encountered in 30 years as a Steuben County prosecutor.” The investigation into Stone’s alleged crimes was initiated by the State Comptroller’s staff, who detected the irregularities.
Appearing in Steuben County Court, Stone agreed to forfeit her pension of $1,920 per month, marking the first instance of pension forfeiture under New York’s anti-corruption measures. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli hailed this as a significant milestone, as the law had never been utilized in court before. Stone’s case was deemed fitting for pension forfeiture due to the direct impact her actions had on the village’s day-to-day operations.
An audit conducted in 2022 by DiNapoli’s office revealed that Stone had been managing the village’s finances without any oversight or accountability. She had been responsible for payroll, maintaining leave records, processing health insurance buyouts, and unauthorized payments, all without approval from village officials. Stone allegedly exploited her access to the village’s financial records to grant herself raises, take unaccounted time off, and issue unauthorized health insurance buyouts.
Authorities also discovered that Stone had been cashing out unused vacation time since 2004, a privilege reserved for retirees or resigned employees. Additionally, she is accused of stealing checks payable to the village and the local school district, converting them into bank checks, and cashing them.
As the investigation progressed, Stone resigned in March 2023, but not before attempting to write herself one final unauthorized check for $26,613. Fortunately, the board intervened and stopped payment on the check before it could be cashed.
DiNapoli commended the collaborative efforts of his office, the New York State Police, and the Steuben County District Attorney’s Office in uncovering Stone’s crimes. He stated, “For well over a decade, Ursula Stone took advantage of her position and the trust of Addison residents to systematically steal over a million dollars from her community. Thanks to the work of my office and our partnership with District Attorney Baker and the State Police, her crimes were uncovered, and she now faces the consequences of her actions.”
During her arraignment before Judge Chauncey Watches, Stone contested the prosecutors’ calculation of the stolen amount, admitting to taking more than $100,000. She was ordered to be held on $20,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on January 24.
