Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media former candidate for Greene County coroner Robert J. Gaus is facing numerous felony charges, including forgery, according to state police. Gas, 62, of Athens, was arrested last week. He has been charged with five counts of forgery, falsifying business records, life settlement fraud and official misconduct by a public servant. Police received a complaint on January 16, about a funeral conducted the month before by Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home in Catskill. The investigation led to the allegation that a forged signature on a document resulted in a life insurance payment going directly to the funeral home instead of to the beneficiary. Gaus has been the licensed manager of Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home since May 2013. He ran for county coroner on the Democratic ticket with Joshua Lipsman in 2018. Lipsman was surprised by the news, describing Gaus as a "very popular and social person.” Lipsman said news of the arrest will likely come as a shock to many. Gaus is next scheduled to appear in court March 12. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.