New York State Police have accused a Wellsville village official of official misconduct and petit larceny, alleging she stole money previously collected from downtown parking meters.
Amity-based troopers said Meghan E. Gonzales, 49, of Wellsville, was arrested Aug. 12 on four class A misdemeanors, including:
State police said Gonzales was issued Wellsville Village Court appearance tickets for Sept. 1 and released.
Village police let troopers take lead in investigation
New York State Police picked up the investigation from Wellsville village police in July.
“The Wellsville Police Department reached out to us for theft of funds. They knew that there were definitely funds being taken,” said Trooper James O’Callaghan, Troop A public information officer.
“Through our investigation, we determined that she was actually taking money from parking meters – not from the parking meters themselves, but from the money that was collected from parking meters.”
O’Callaghan said investigators believe Gonzales stole an as-yet-undetermined amount of money on three separate occasions, leading to the three petit larceny counts.
Village places Gonzales on suspension
Wellsville Village Mayor Edward Fahs said Aug. 14 that Gonzales has been placed on suspension.
According to Fahs, the Wellsville Village Board appointed Gonzales clerk in January 2026 after she previously served as deputy clerk since 2018. Fahs said the village is “saddened” by Gonzales’ arrest.
“We respect Mrs. Gonzales’ right to due process,” Fahs added. “Since the matter is with the (Allegany County) District Attorney’s office and on advice of the Village Attorney, we have no further comment at this time. However, when appropriate, we will have a more detailed statement.”
This story has been updated with new information.
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Wellsville village clerk charged with stealing parking meter money
Reporting by Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
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By Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune | USA TODAY Network
