Former Pharsalia supervisor admits to stealing $240,000 from residents
CHENANGO COUNTY – On Friday, more than two years after first being charged in April of 2019, former Pharsalia Town Supervisor Dennis Brown pleaded guilty to stealing $240,000 in public funds in Chenango County Court and agreed to pay the rest of it back.
Brown pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny, as a crime of public corruption.
As part of the plea Brown agreed to pay $240,000 in restitution, he has already paid $125,000. Prosecutors said he will be sentenced in September and could face a potential state prison term of between one and three years.
Brown had been allowed to remain out of jail without bail with prosecutors citing the case's non-violent nature, the defendant's age, ties to the local community, and ongoing medical needs as factors.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli first announced Brown's arrest on April 10, 2019 following an audit of the town's finances, saying, “Since 2010, Mr. Brown allegedly cheated his neighbors out of over a hundred thousand dollars by using public funds for his pleasure and daily expenses.”
DiNapoli said Friday, “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.”
Brown is 72 years old and was the longest serving member of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors at the time of his arrest. He was the Town of Pharsalia supervisor and a member of the board of supervisors for the last 35 years.
He also sat on the county’s finance and public works committees and continued hold his seat on the board and its committees even after he was arrested. He was voted out of office at the end of 2019 and collected a public salary for those positions.
DiNapoli’s office, working with the New York State Police and district attorney, found that Brown had, “inflated his salary and used the town credit card to pay for numerous personal expenses.”
Investigators reported he 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.”
The Chenango County District Attorney’s Office, which is partly overseen by the board of supervisors, recused themselves from prosecuting the case locally and Cortland County DA Patrick A. Perfetti was selected as special prosecutor in the case.
Following Brown's plea, DiNapoli and Perfetti released joint statements Friday afternoon.
“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.”
“I acknowledge that this disposition was a long time in coming,” District Attorney Perfetti said. “I want to credit Assistant District Attorney Adam Ratner with leading extensive negotiations regarding the recovery of a substantial portion of what we would have been able to prove at trial. I hope that this case serves as a reminder to those who enjoy the honor of public service in that they execute their duties with the responsibility entrusted to them and that the public deserves.”
Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.ny.gov, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.
Brown pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny, as a crime of public corruption.
As part of the plea Brown agreed to pay $240,000 in restitution, he has already paid $125,000. Prosecutors said he will be sentenced in September and could face a potential state prison term of between one and three years.
Brown had been allowed to remain out of jail without bail with prosecutors citing the case's non-violent nature, the defendant's age, ties to the local community, and ongoing medical needs as factors.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli first announced Brown's arrest on April 10, 2019 following an audit of the town's finances, saying, “Since 2010, Mr. Brown allegedly cheated his neighbors out of over a hundred thousand dollars by using public funds for his pleasure and daily expenses.”
DiNapoli said Friday, “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.”
Brown is 72 years old and was the longest serving member of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors at the time of his arrest. He was the Town of Pharsalia supervisor and a member of the board of supervisors for the last 35 years.
He also sat on the county’s finance and public works committees and continued hold his seat on the board and its committees even after he was arrested. He was voted out of office at the end of 2019 and collected a public salary for those positions.
DiNapoli’s office, working with the New York State Police and district attorney, found that Brown had, “inflated his salary and used the town credit card to pay for numerous personal expenses.”
Investigators reported he 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.”
The Chenango County District Attorney’s Office, which is partly overseen by the board of supervisors, recused themselves from prosecuting the case locally and Cortland County DA Patrick A. Perfetti was selected as special prosecutor in the case.
Following Brown's plea, DiNapoli and Perfetti released joint statements Friday afternoon.
“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.”
“I acknowledge that this disposition was a long time in coming,” District Attorney Perfetti said. “I want to credit Assistant District Attorney Adam Ratner with leading extensive negotiations regarding the recovery of a substantial portion of what we would have been able to prove at trial. I hope that this case serves as a reminder to those who enjoy the honor of public service in that they execute their duties with the responsibility entrusted to them and that the public deserves.”
Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.ny.gov, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.
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