BOOKKEEPER PLEADS GUILTY; AMOUNT ALLEGEDLY PILFERED
STILL IN QUESTION


Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News

03-01-11 - The former bookkeeper for the towns of Kinderhook and Greenport charged with pilfering more than $330,000 from the two municipalities pled guilty in Columbia County Court Monday.

But just how much money former bookkeeper Pegeen More allegedly stole is still up in the air.

A hearing in front of Judge Jonathon Nichols has been scheduled for April 13 through April 15 to determine the amount of funds that she allegedly stole and how much the two towns will seek in damages. She will be sentenced on April 19 and faces a maximum sentence of 98 years in prison.

District Attorney Beth Cozzolino told ccSCOOP that accountant Mike Bucci is still working on the figures that will be presented to Judge Nichols during that hearing.

“I requested three days (for the hearing) because of the amount of evidence that will be presented,” she said.

Moore’s attorney, Andrew Safranko, made a point of noting in court on Monday that Moore was not agreeing to an amount of money allegedly stolen, officials said.

As was first reported in ccSCOOP, Moore was indicted on 20 counts – 18 of which were felonies - alleging that she stole $337,000 from the towns over a three-year-period. Of that amount, $287,000 was allegedly taken from the coffers of the Town of Kinderhook through a series of electronic fund transfers directly from the town bank accounts into her personal American Express credit card account. The remainder was allegedly stolen from Greenport in the first half of 2010 before she was dismissed from her position there after accusations of the alleged criminal actions were made.

Speculation has abounded since her indictment that the amount stolen was actually greater than the initial indicted amount and authorities told ccSCOOP that additional missing funds would likely be uncovered.

Kinderhook Supervisor Patrick Grattan told ccSCOOP that his town has agreed to an insurance payment of $300,000 to cover the costs of the theft for his town. At last report, Greenport was still working through its paperwork and had yet to seek insurance coverage for its alleged losses.

Grattan uncovered the alleged thefts from his town after taking office in January, 2010. By that time, Moore - who had worked in Kinderhook under the administration of former Supervisor Doug McGivney, a Democrat - had started work in the town of Greenport, which was led by Independent Ed Nabozny. Moore is reportedly a family friend to the McGiveneys and was allegedly recommended to Nabozny for a post in his new administration.

“The important thing now is we have to make sure we as a town are made whole,” Grattan said this week, noting a civil suit against Moore is still pending.

CORRECTION (3-04-11):

Greenport Supervisor Ed Nabozny has informed this publication that the town has, in fact, submitted a total dollar amount of the restitution the town is seeking to the District Attorney's office.  Supervisor Nabozny also states that former Kinderhook supervisor Doug McGivney never contacted him regarding the town's hiring of Pegeen Moore.