Cops: Director Of Upstate NY Environmental Group Stole $69K

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (AP) — The head of an Adirondack environmental conservation group has been charged with more than $69,000 from the organization.

The Warren County Sheriff's Office says 67-year-old David Decker, of Burnt Hills in Saratoga County, was arrested Thursday on charges that include grand larceny and falsifying business records.

Investigators say Decker, the director of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, administered government environmental protection grants from 2001 through last year. Authorities say he submitted false documents to the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board for reimbursement for services related to a project in the village of Lake George.

Officials say he stole just over $69,000 during the 15-year period.

Decker was released after posting $5,000 bail.

No one picked up at a home phone listing for Decker. A message left with his attorney, Joseph Brennan, wasn't immediately returned.