Parks and rec director in Southern Tier village pleads guilty to stealing funds, altering records

WAVERLY, N.Y. — The former parks and recreation director for the Village of Waverly in the Southern Tier pleaded guilty to stealing village funds and doctoring records to cover up the crime, state and local law-enforcement officials announced.

Shaw, who pleaded guilty to official misconduct for destroying and altering village records, was sentenced by Judge Ricard Gorman in Waverly Village Court to one year of conditional discharge and paid full restitution of $16,525, according to a Thursday announcement by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, and the New York State Police.

Shaw was responsible for collecting funds for children’s sports registrations, fundraisers, tournaments, and field trips. A forensic analysis and review of recreation records showed that he collected cash regularly but failed to deposit all funds into village accounts. Between November 2015 and August 2018, Shaw collected $16,525 in cash that was unaccounted for, the state comptroller’s office said.

Shaw, 67, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, confessed to misappropriating the funds and admitted to altering and destroying receipts and records of the village’s recreation department between May and June 2018 to conceal his theft.

“Mr. Shaw shamelessly altered records to cover up his misappropriation of money meant to support the children of his community for his own benefit,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “I thank Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin and the New York State Police for partnering with my office to hold Mr. Shaw accountable for betraying the public trust.”

Shaw served as Waverly’s recreation director since 2015. He resigned from the position on Nov. 11 of this year in connection with his guilty plea.

“Mr. Shaw falsified village records and stole funds intended to enrich our youth and communities for his own selfishness,” New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said. “This investigation should serve as a reminder that defrauding any amount will be met with multi-agency collaborative investigations resulting in indictments and arrests.”