Former City of Newburgh Comptroller Pleads Guilty to Grand Larceny for
Stealing Money Collected from City Boat-Launch

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today that, John Aber, 49, of Staten Island, pleaded guilty before Orange County Court Judge Robert H. Freehill, to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, for having stolen money while he was the Comptroller of the City of Newburgh. At the time he pleaded guilty, Aber admitted that between August 2013 and December 2016, he used his position as City Comptroller to steal money collected from boat-launch fees in the city of Newburgh.

Aber is scheduled to be sentence on September 14, 2017. Aber agreed prior to being sentenced to pay restitution to the city of Newburgh in the amount $9,570.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation, and the arrest of Aber. In addition, District Attorney Hoovler thanked Comptroller DiNapoli’s office, which collaborated in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kerry Kolek, Nicolas Mangold and Steven Goldberg. The Comptroller’s investigation was led by his Division of Investigations.

“There is simply never an excuse for an official to steal public money,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “The City of Newburgh Comptroller was entrusted with these funds, so that they could be used for the benefit of the City. The abuse of that trust which resulted in him converting the funds to his own use is a serious matter. My office will continue to prosecute any theft of public monies. I thank the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of John Aber. I also thank the Office of the New York State Comptroller for their help in this case and look forward to continuing to work with Comptroller DiNapoli to ensure that no other monies are missing and that appropriate safeguards are put in place to deter this type of crime in the future.”

“Mr. Aber was entrusted with safeguarding the city’s finances; instead he used his position as city comptroller to enrich himself at the expense of the taxpayers,” DiNapoli said. “I thank District Attorney Hoovler and the City of Newburgh Police for their diligence and commitment to partnering to fight public corruption.”

A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.