A former state auditor who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $400,000 from the Town of Wallkill was sentenced Aug. 18 in Orange County Court to 4-12 years in state prison.
Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced the sentence for Tobias Otieno, 42, of Hyde Park.
Otieno pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny, a felony, in February.
According to Hoovler, Otieno admitted that between June 23, 2022, and Sept. 1, 2024, he was employed as an auditor for the New York State Comptroller’s office when he was assigned to perform an audit of the Town of Wallkill.
That assignment included an analysis of the town’s financial operations, payroll, procurements and non-payroll disbursements.
Otieno was provided access to Town of Wallkill bank accounts and various financial documents during the audit.
Hoovler said that through the use of his public office, Otieno stole approximately $405,843.23 by transferring the funds from Town of Wallkill bank accounts to his personal business accounts.
The case was jointly investigated by Hoovler’s office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with the cooperation and assistance of the state comptroller’s office.
The investigation revealed no misconduct by any officials or employees of the Town of Wallkill.
Otieno was initially suspended when the alleged theft was first discovered, and the state later terminated his employment.
“This defendant’s admitted conduct was a self-serving crime that subverted the trust placed in him by way of his employment,” Hoovler said in a statement released by his office. “I remind municipalities undergoing audits by any outside agencies, whether public or private, that it is important to consistently monitor and reconcile their accounts to safeguard public funds.”
Otieno’s attorney, Lisa J. Pelosi, declined to make a comment on his behalf.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Former auditor who stole $400K from Town of Wallkill sentenced
Reporting by Mike Randall, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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By Mike Randall, Middletown Times Herald- Record | USA TODAY Network
