Former Deputy Erie County Clerk Alexander McDougall today pleaded guilty to felony counts of grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing for stealing over $320,000 in county funds, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane, and Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia announced.
“Instead of safeguarding public money, Alexander McDougall abused his authority, diverting taxpayer funds meant to benefit Erie County for his own use,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “Thanks to my partnership with Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia and Erie County Comptroller Kevin R. Hardwick, he is being held accountable for his crimes.”
Acting District Attorney Keane said, “I am pleased to announce that this defendant has pleaded guilty to the highest sustainable charge. For more than four years, he used his position in the Clerk’s Office to steal a significant sum of money from the residents of Erie County. In addition to uncovering this brazen theft, I want to commend the Erie County Comptroller’s Office as well as our partners in the New York State Comptroller’s Office and Erie County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the case. I also commend the Erie County Clerk’s Office for their full cooperation in this investigation. While uncovering financial crimes can be an extensive and time-consuming process, I want the public to know that we are committed to obtaining justice and restoring their trust in government by prosecuting the offenders and seeking full restitution.”
Sheriff Garcia said, “Detective Dan Brinkerhoff and the Erie County Sheriff's Office Investigative Services Unit are to be commended for their thorough work, culminating in today's plea. People must be able to trust their public offices. I would like to thank Comptroller DiNapoli, District Attorney Keane and Comptroller Hardwick for their partnership throughout this case."
The Erie County Comptroller’s Office conducted an internal audit of the Erie County Clerk’s Registrar Division and referred its findings to DiNapoli’s office, requesting a forensic audit. DiNapoli’s office, in partnership with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and the Erie County Sheriff, expanded the scope of the Erie County Comptroller’s inquiry and examined the period of Jan. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. The investigation was subsequently expanded when McDougall began in his position of deputy clerk on Jan. 1, 2019.
Every business day, the Erie County Clerk’s office collects a variety of fees such as court filings, mortgage taxes and pistol permits. Staff prepares deposit slips for each payment. As deputy clerk, McDougall was responsible for reviewing each deposit slip and reconciling them with daily collection reports to ensure accuracy and accountability.
The investigation found that in hundreds of instances cash was collected but not deposited. In most instances, the total amount of cash collected by one of the clerks was missing.
The investigation uncovered that cash was deposited into McDougall’s personal bank account on several days the cash was not deposited into the county clerk’s bank account. DiNapoli’s auditors determined over $320,000 of recorded cash receipts were not deposited into the clerk’s account.
McDougall, 55, appeared in Erie County Court before Judge Sheila A. DiTullio. Sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 25.
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.ny.gov/investigations, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.