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Former Chatham village treasurer pleads guilty to attempted official misconduct
Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the former Chatham village treasurer Barbara Henry September 22, pleaded guilty to attempted official misconduct for stealing village funds. Henry, 60, of Chatham admitted in Chatham Town Court to stealing almost $4,000 from April 2017 to April 2018. Henry was originally charged in March with first-degree tampering with records, two counts of grand larceny in the third degree and official misconduct. District Attorney Paul Czajka [CHAI-kah] said the recommendation was for Henry to plead guilty to attempted official misconduct and Chatham Town Justice James Borgia-Forster agreed. Borgia-Forster ordered Henry to pay full restitution and imposed a $250 fine. A joint investigation by state police and the state Comptrollers Office found that Henry used her position as treasurer to waive her share of health insurance premium costs and have the village fully fund that benefit. Henry was employed by the village from 2012 until August 2018. Henry is also accused of stealing more than $8,420 in funds between October 2014 and December 2020 from her other employer, Cadmus Lifesharing Association, a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts, which cares for individuals with disabilities. Czajka said he has deferred to the Massachusetts authorities to prosecute that matter. Chatham Mayor John Howe expressed relief at the conclusion of an ordeal that has lasted more than two years and said he was pleased the village was made whole again. Former Chatham village police chief Peter Volkmann was convicted as a result of the same probe into Chatham’s finances that caught Henry. Volkmann, 57, of Stuyvesant, pleaded guilty in February, to fourth-degree grand larceny and official misconduct. The District Attorney’s office said with guilty pleas from Henry and Volkmann all of the stolen funds from Chatham have been restored and neither will be eligible for public office again. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.