Harry Danley, Jr. Facebook
A campaign sign for Harry Danley, Jr.'s 2023 mayoral campaign. Danley was arrested and charged with first-degree larceny June 4.
ANSONIA – A city resident accused of stealing about $25,000 from an elderly city resident apologized – but said he’s innocent of the charges brought against him.
Harry Danley, Jr., a city public works employee who was arrested and charged with first-degree larceny June 4, told The Valley Indy that the accusations against him are false.
“I’m not guilty of larceny. I’m not,” Danley told The Valley Indy in an interview June 16. “I’m guilty of not paying back on time, which I had every intention to pay back.”
Police allege that Danley convinced an 85-year-old woman to write him thousands of dollars’ worth of checks from her bank account. Those checks were found by two of the woman’s daughters. One of the daughters called police.
Danley told The Valley Indy that he had taken out loans from the woman, and that he hadn’t paid her back. He said he still planned to pay her back in the future.
“I’m not a thief,” Danley said. “I shouldn’t be charged with larceny. I didn’t commit a crime. What I did wrong, it should have went to a civil case.”
He said he had taken the money from her in order to make improvements on a home that he wanted to sell. He said he’ll pay her back after he sells it.
“I will pay my debt in full, and I never meant to hurt anybody or upset anybody,” Danley said.
He apologized to the woman’s family, but maintained that he should not have been criminally charged.
“I apologize to the family. I haven’t talked to them, but it was just a friend helping a friend out,” Danley said.
Police said in an arrest warrant that Danley had made partial repayments toward the debt he owed the woman. They said that Danley still owes her $23,770, and that he had broken past promises to pay her back by certain dates.
As an example, one $4,000 check was described as a “loan” in January 2024, with a promise to pay it back the next month. However, that payment didn’t happen, the warrant stated.
Danley told The Valley Indy that he had in fact missed deadlines for paying her back. However, he maintained his actions weren’t criminal.
He said his reputation has been damaged after the news of his arrest became public.
“I’m not perfect, but I’m innocent of this charge, what they’re making me out to be. I mean, it’s hurtful,” Danley said.
“My reputation has been damaged all over. Just walking out my door, just going to the local store, people are talking, some people don’t talk to you,” he said.
Police noted that a doctor had diagnosed the woman with mild dementia earlier this year. Danley said that he’s known her for over 30 years, and that he didn’t know about the diagnosis.
Danley told The Valley Indy that the police’s arrest warrant misrepresented his financial situation. The arrest warrant alleged that Danley’s home had been foreclosed on, and that the home wasn’t his to sell.
Danley showed The Valley Indy paperwork showing that he still owns the home, although it’s been in the foreclosure process since 2019. He said that if he’s able to sell it, then he would pay off his various debts, including the money he owes to the alleged victim.
Danley, who ran for mayor as a petitioning candidate in 2023, said he is representing himself in his criminal case. He also said he is still employed by the city – which was earlier confirmed by city staff – but that he’s been out of work due to an injury.
Danley is scheduled to appear in court July 22.
