New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Columbia County District Lawyer Paul Czajka, and the New York State Police introduced that Barbara Henry, the Village of Chatham’s former clerk-treasurer, has pleaded responsible to tried official misconduct for unlawfully waiving her personal medical insurance premiums on the city’s expense.
“Ms. Henry took benefit of her public place to have the taxpayers absolutely fund her insurance coverage prices,” mentioned DiNapoli. “This type of corruption drives up prices and erodes the general public belief. Those that abuse the system shall be caught and delivered to justice. I thank District Lawyer Paul Czajka and the New York State Police for his or her partnership in safeguarding public funds.”
“On behalf of the residents and taxpayers of Chatham and Columbia County, I thank Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Chief Joseph Fiore and their staff of investigators and auditors, in addition to Sr. Inv. Eric Barnes and his State Police investigators,” DA Czajka mentioned. “Specifically, I commend Comptroller’s Investigator Candace Burnham, State Police Investigator Mathew Reilly and Deputy Chief ADA Ryan Carty for his or her arduous work and dedication on this complicated investigation. I strongly imagine that, if there may be one arm of state authorities that pays for itself by discovering monetary misdeeds and deterring thefts, it’s this investigative unit of the Comptroller’s workplace. I additionally word that Mayor John Howe, though not in workplace whereas the crimes had been dedicated, took the lead in making certain that every one village staff cooperated absolutely.”
Henry, 59, of Chatham paid $3,586 in restitution for scamming the village medical insurance premiums and stealing from her different employer Cadmus Lifesharing Affiliation, a nonprofit group based mostly out of Massachusetts.
The joint investigation discovered that from April 2017 to August 2018, Henry used her place to unlawfully waive her personal medical insurance premiums, inflicting the village to pay Henry’s portion of medical insurance. Henry was answerable for paying 50% of her medical insurance whereas the village was answerable for the opposite 50%. Henry used her place to waive the price to herself. She was employed by the village from late 2012 till she resigned in August of 2018.
Henry pleaded responsible earlier than Choose J. Borgia-Forster in Chatham City Courtroom who additionally imposed a $250 nice along with the total restitution.
That is the second prison conviction of a village official stemming from the joint investigation. Within the first, and separate case, former Police Chief Peter Volkmann was sentenced on July 19, 2021 to pay practically $93,000 in restitution after his felony responsible plea to grand larceny within the fourth diploma.
Since taking workplace in 2007, DiNapoli has dedicated to preventing public corruption and encourages the general public to assist struggle fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer cash by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by submitting a grievance on-line at [email protected], or by mailing a grievance to: Workplace of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Ground, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.
