Upstate New York Clerk Accused of Stealing Over 30k From Towns

An official working for two Upstate New York towns is facing charges of grand larceny as investigators claim she more than $35,000 from taxpayers.

New York State Police investigators allege LeeAnn Tedford used her capacity as a clerk for the town supervisor in both instances to improperly transfer town money to her personal account.

Troopers say the 38-year-old Watertown woman was working as a clerk for the supervisor in both the town of Adams and the town of Ellisburg, both located in Jefferson County.

Investigators charged Tedford with two counts of third-degree Grand Larceny, a class-D felony, claiming she used her position to steal $19,724 from the town of Adams by manipulating payroll and transferring funding belong to the municipality. It's further alleged Tedford again used her role as clerk to manipulate and steal some $17,000 in Ellisburg town funds.

Tedford was arraigned and released on her own recognizance, police said.

Under state law, if found guilty of a non-violent class-D felony, she could face anywhere from no jail time to seven-years behind bars on each of the grand larceny charges.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post is for informational purposes. The information provided within was provided publicly by law enforcement. Any charges or accusations of wrongdoing mentioned in the article are only allegations and the reader is reminded that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.]