Sharon Scanlon, the former assistant finance director for the City of Shelton, surrendered to state police Wednesday afternoon on charges of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money.
Scanlon, 48, was charged with a single count of first-degree larceny and 56 counts of first-degree forgery at Troop I in Bethany.
She posted a $100,000 bond in the case and was released. She will appear at Superior Court in Milford Feb. 5.
“After a lengthy investigation, it was determined that the accused drafted fraudulent checks into her personal checking account via ATM at selected locations over a 10-year period,” the press release said.
A message was left Wednesday afternoon with Scanlon’s lawyer, William F. Dow III.
Mayor Mark Lauretti said Wednesday afternoon that he hadn’t yet heard about the arrest.
“We’re not involved in it,” Lauretti said of the state police probe. “They have to do what they have to do.”
The mayor said a separate investigation performed by city officials wrapped up “awhile ago” and revealed that Scanlon had taken more money than city officials had originally realized — though he wouldn’t say how much.
News of the alleged misdeeds broke last August.
State police investigators paid several trips to Shelton City Hall, including a visit Aug. 31 when they carried out computer equipment and other items from the finance office (see the video posted at the end of this story).
Scanlon first fell under suspicion a month earlier, after one of the city’s auditors discovered Scanlon had been depositing city checks into her personal accounts without authorization, according to a lawsuit the city filed against her.
She resigned Aug. 23, after Lauretti threatened to fire her.
In September a judge put a $348,416 lien on Scanlon’s Crescent Drive house.
The dollar amount represents how much money the city believes Scanlon took, according to the city’s civil lawsuit.
Lauretti said the finance department is now being helmed on an interim basis by Paul Hiller, a former finance director from the town of Fairfield. Hiller replaced Lou Marusic, who retired after being put on leave by Lauretti last year.
Marusic, Scanlon’s former supervisor, declined to answer any questions from the Valley Indy Wednesday.
“I would not care to make any comment until the investigation is completed,” he said.
