Longest-Serving Cortland County Politician Admits Stealing Public Funds

The former Town Supervisor of Pharsalia admits stealing $240,000 in public funds.

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Cortland County District Attorney Patrick Perfetti say Dennis Brown pleaded guilty to grand larceny as a crime of public corruption.

Brown has already paid back $125,000 of the money he stole to buy groceries, liquor, clothes, jewelry and designer handbags as well as to pay for work on his property and cooking classes.

In addition to paying back the money Brown channeled to his own purposes, he faces a potential state prison term when he is sentenced in September.

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Brown was the longest-serving town supervisor in Chenango County.  He had been in office for 35 years until he lost an election in 2019.  At the time of his arrest, he was also a paid member of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors and served on its finance and public works committees.

Prosecutors say Brown inflated his salary and used the town credit card to pay for personal expenses during his tenure in public office.