Democratic or Republican….The People Are Being Robbed
Town Court Judge Charged With Stealing $4M From Trusts Agrees to Resign
By Andrew Denney | 2018
Richard Sherwood.
An Albany County town justice who is facing grand larceny charges for participating in a scheme to steal $4 million from a trust fund that he oversaw has agreed to resign from the bench.
Town of Guilderland Justice Richard Sherwood, a former Guilderland town attorney who was elected to the bench in 2013, is charged with two counts of grand larceny, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and two counts of first-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Sherwood, 58, and Thomas Lagan, an attorney and a longtime associate of Sherwood’s, provided estate planning for the estate of Warren Bruggeman, a top General Electric executive and noted Capital District philanthropist who died in 2009, according to court papers.
5 Investigates: How to stop public officials from stealing money
Posted: Oct 27, 2017 5:37 AM PDT
Updated: Oct 27, 2017 6:01 AM PDT
By CBS 5 InvestigatesCONNECT
Public officials stealing money
Earlier this month, former City of Kingman Finance Director Diane Richards was sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing more than $1 million over eight years. (Source: Attorney General)
PHOENIX (CBS 5) –
We hear about it all the time and it’s enough to make you mad. We’re talking about government insiders stealing your tax money. But what can be done to stop it?
Earlier this month, former City of Kingman Finance Director Diane Richards was sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing more than $1 million over eight years. Much of the stolen money went to cover her gambling debts.
[RELATED: Ex-Kingman employee pleads guilty to embezzling $1.1 million]
“Fraud is everywhere and it’s in large organizations just as it’s in small organizations,” said Linsey Perry, director of the Financial Investigations Division of the Arizona Auditor General’s Office.
Perry said her division receives more than 60-tips a year about public officials stealing money. It can happen to state agencies, city and county governments, fire departments, universities and school districts.
“Understanding how and why an employee commits fraud is crucial to preventing it from occurring,” said Perry.
Perry said they often find the employee accused of theft has too much responsibility.
READ MORE: Former Kingman employee accused of stealing more than $1M
