Prison Time For Former Croton Cop, Fire Chief, Treasurer

The former Croton-on-Hudson fire chief and police officer who stole more than $300,000 from the fire department will do time in state prison. Gerald “Gerry” Munson is also paying restitution.

Munson, 64, was sentenced to 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 years in state prison for Grand Larceny as a Crime of Public Corruption, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced.

As treasurer of the volunteer fire department, Munson was responsible for maintaining the Croton-On-Hudson Fire Department bank account and financial records.

He used his position as treasurer to steal $312,925. The money he stole included portions of the so-called “2 Percent Money” paid annually to the Fire Department by New York State in connection with the state’s two percent tax on fire insurance.

For years, Munson was able to conceal his ongoing theft by altering and manipulating the department’s bank records, the DA said. Those alterations and manipulations included his under-reporting of the amount of “2 Percent Money” received by the department in order to balance the books and hide what he stole for himself.

In February 2018, members of the Fire Department’s internal Audit Committee discovered that Munson had provided them with false 2017 bank statements. When confronted by the Audit Committee, Munson admitted he had created the false statements on his home computer; that he had stolen money from the Department’s account for his own personal use; and that he used the Fire Department’s debit card as if it were his own.

Further investigation and analysis conducted jointly by the Village of Croton-on Hudson Police Department, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Comptroller’s Office confirmed that between January 2011 and February 2018, the defendant stole approximately $312,925 from the Fire Department. This joint investigation led to Munson’s arrest and conviction.

Village police officers arrested Munson in June. He pleaded guilty to the charge Sept. 12.

At the time of his plea, Munson paid $124,383 in restitution, in addition to the $25,000 in restitution that he paid upon his arraignment. At sentencing, the court issued an Order of Restitution for the remaining amount of $149,383.

The DA's office pointed out that the volunteer treasurer was appointed despite having no prior qualifications or background in accounting or financial matters.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Fitzgerald, Deputy Bureau Chief of the Westchester District Attorney’s Office Investigations Division Public Integrity Bureau, prosecuted the case.

PHOTO/ Gerald Munson pleaded guilty in September 2018./ Westchester DA's Office

SEE ALSO

• New Controls In Place After Croton Fire Department Scandal
  
• Former Fire Chief Stole More Than $300K From CFD: DA
  
• Longtime Croton Fire Department Treasurer Resigns
  
• Former Fire Chief Pleads In $300,000 Croton FD Theft Scandal