State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Madison County District Attorney William G. Gabor and the New York State Police today announced the arrest of former Oneida City Chamberlain Nancy Andrews for allegedly stealing more than $78,000 from the city over the course of 14 years.

“For over a decade, Andrews allegedly betrayed her office and the trust of her community to fund her social life and gamble with public money,” DiNapoli said. “This was a blatant abuse of her office and an affront to Oneida taxpayers. I thank my investigators, District Attorney Gabor, and the New York State Police for their work in uncovering this theft.”

“The District Attorney’s Office is grateful for the outstanding and detailed investigation conducted by the New York State Police and the Investigations Division of the Office of the New York State Comptroller,” Gabor said. “As is always the case, the District Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute this case involving an alleged violation of public trust by an elected official. Public officials are rightly held to a higher standard and there must be a higher level of accountability for any proven act of stealing from taxpayers.”

“I commend the work of our State Police members, the Comptroller’s Office and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work on this case," New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said. "We have zero tolerance for government officials who take advantage of their position to steal from taxpayers. We must continue to hold our public officials to a higher standard.”

Andrews, 77, is charged with allegedly stealing $78,881.55 in tax, water and sewer payments that were made in cash between 2012 and 2020. Andrews concealed the thefts with a Ponzi-like scheme by applying one property owner’s payment to another. She spent the funds on, among other things, social outings with friends and pull-tab games at the American Legion Hall in Oneida.

The charges include grand larceny, corrupting the government, falsifying business records and tampering with public records, all felonies.

Andrews served as the City of Oneida’s Chamberlain from 1998 until her term expired in 2021.

She was arraigned in Oneida City Court before Judge Michael J. Misiaszek and is due back in court on Nov. 10.

The charges filed in this case are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.state.ny.us/investigations, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.