The town clerk for the Town of Alexander is facing a slew of charges for allegedly stealing $3,000 from the town’s coffers, the New York State Comptroller’s Office announced Friday.
That clerk, 40-year-old Shannon Tiede, is accused of pocketing cash payments made to the town of the course of four years and then altering town records to cover up the thefts. The Comptroller’s Office says inspectors discovered discrepancies in the town’s finances during an audit and decided to open an investigation.
“Ms. Tiede was entrusted to safeguard public finances,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement. “But instead she allegedly abused her position to steal town funds and attempted to hide her crime.”
Tiede has been arraigned in Genesee County Centralized Arraignment Part on charges of grand larceny, falsifying business records, forgery and corrupting the government. She is due in Alexander Town Court on Aug. 13.
Tiede was elected as town clerk in 2019. Her current term expires at the end of 2027.