On October 18, ,2023, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Wayne County District Attorney Michael Calarco, and Acting Superintendent of State Police Dominick L. Chiumento announced that the former court clerk for the Town of Marion, Eileen Steurrys, was sentenced to serve six months in jail and pay over $59,000 in restitution after her conviction for embezzling from the town court and altering records in an effort to hide her crimes.
“Ms. Steurrys thought she could abuse her position to steal from the public and conceal her theft. She now faces the consequences of her betrayal of the public’s trust,” DiNapoli said. “My thanks to District Attorney Calarco and the State Police for their continuing partnership in combating public corruption.”
Wayne County Assistant District Attorney John Ferlicca said, “Eileen Steurrys abused the trust that had been placed in her by the Marion Town Court. Today she answered to the People of the State of New York for her crimes of using her court clerk position for personal enrichment.”
“The sentencing of Ms. Steurrys should serve as a reminder that those who choose to abuse their public position will be brought to justice,” said Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento. “This former court clerk stole money from the court to support her own lifestyle. We will not tolerate this illegal behavior or abuse of power. I applaud the work of the State Police members assigned to this case, the State Comptroller’s Office, and the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office for their dedicated and hard work in exposing this fraud.”
Ms. Steurrys' thefts were initially discovered when DiNapoli’s office audited the Town of Marion Court Fund. DiNapoli’s office then partnered with Wayne County District Attorney Calarco’s office and the State Police to investigate her crimes, leading to her arrest and conviction. The joint investigation determined that, from 2016 to 2021, Ms. Steurrys pocketed $59,293 in court fees paid by the public instead of depositing the money in the court’s account and altered court records and created phony receipts in an effort to hide the crimes.
On August 16, 2023, she pled guilty to grand larceny in the second degree, corrupting the government in the second degree, tampering with records in the first degree and official misconduct. Steurrys was sentenced in Wayne County Court.
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Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. Allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money can be made by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.ny.gov or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.