Spent stolen money on personal vacations, designer handbags, and more PHARSALIA, N.Y. — The former supervisor of a small town in Chenango County recently admitted to stealing $240,000 in public funds, which he used to fund personal vacations and shopping sprees. Former Pharsalia Town Supervisor Dennis Brown pleaded guilty and must now pay full restitution, […]
Spent stolen money on personal vacations, designer handbags, and more
PHARSALIA, N.Y. — The former supervisor of a small town in Chenango County recently admitted to stealing $240,000 in public funds, which he used to fund personal vacations and shopping sprees.
Former Pharsalia Town Supervisor Dennis Brown pleaded guilty and must now pay full restitution, according to a June 11 announcement from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Cortland County District Attorney Patrick Perfetti. The thefts were discovered through their joint investigation.
“For decades, the residents of Pharsalia trusted Dennis Brown to safeguard taxpayer money, but instead he treated the town’s funds like a personal piggybank, pocketing over $240,000,” DiNapoli said in a release. “We have no tolerance for abuse of the public’s trust and today Dennis Brown faces consequences for his crimes. My thanks to the New York State Police and to Cortland County DA Perfetti for partnering with us to uncover his corruption.”
Brown, age 72 of South Plymouth, pleaded guilty on June 11 before Judge Frank B. Revoir, of Chenango County, to grand larceny in the second degree, as a crime of public corruption. He must pay $240,000 in restitution, of which he has already paid $125,000. Brown also faces a potential state prison term at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 17, per the release.
Brown was arrested on April 10, 2019, after DiNapoli’s office, working with the State Police and Cortland County District Attorney’s office, found that he had inflated his salary and used the town credit card to pay for numerous personal expenses. Brown used public funds to pay for groceries, cooking classes, liquor-store purchases, a subscription, gift-shop purchases, clothes, designer handbags, jewelry, home utilities, work on his property, and vacations.
Brown, a Democrat, was the longest-serving town supervisor in Chenango County, in office for 35 years, until he lost an election in late 2019. At the time of his arrest, he was also a paid member of the county’s board of supervisors and served on its finance and public works committees. Pharsalia has a population of fewer than 600 people.