Syracuse, NY - The wife of the former North Syracuse mayor has pleaded guilty in connection with allegations she misappropriated some of the village’s money. Patricia Heindorf, 59, pleaded guilty Sept. 27 before village Justice Robert Bertrand to a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Robert DeMarco. DeMarco today said the charge involved allegations that...
Syracuse, NY - The wife of the former North Syracuse mayor has pleaded guilty in connection with allegations she misappropriated some of the village’s money.
Patricia Heindorf, 59, pleaded guilty Sept. 27 before village Justice Robert Bertrand to a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Robert DeMarco.
DeMarco today said the charge involved allegations that Heindorf accepted funds on behalf of the village’s Beautification Committee that were not all deposited into the proper account. Some of the money Heindorf collected for the committee actually ended up in the defendant’s own account, the prosecutor said.
Court papers indicate Heindorf's misconduct occurred from 2006 through 2009. The official misconduct charge was based on a statement from Mayor Diane Browning.
In her affidavit, Browning said Heindorf had been collecting funds for the village clock through community donations. Treasurer Dianne Kufel reported in August 2009 that she had found approximately $2,787 was missing and that funds Heindorf was responsible for had been co-mingled in various accounts, Browning said.
All of the money was paid back and there is no restitution as part of the plea deal, DeMarco said. He also said there was no allegation that it was Heindorf’s intent to steal the money.
Heindorf was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge requiring her to stay out of trouble. But the prosecution also asked the judge to impose an additional condition barring Heindorf from ever again accepting a position with any group where she was responsible for the money, DeMarco said.
The District Attorney’s office began investigating Heindorf last December after some village residents voiced concern about possible discrepancies in the Beautification Committee account. Heindorf served as the committee’s treasurer.
That was three months after Heindorf resigned as treasurer of the Northern Onondaga Public Library board after library officials questioned why she had been paid double her annual stipend for two consecutive years. Authorities said Heindorf paid back the extra $10,000 immediately after being questioned about it in August 2009.
Heindorf also has served as secretary of the North Syracuse Education Association and treasurer of the North Syracuse Democratic Committee.
DeMarco said there were no criminal charges relating to Heindorf’s position with any of the organizations other than the village Beautification Committee. The prosecutor said the official misconduct charge was lodged in that matter because Heindorf breached her official duty as an agent of the village of North Syracuse in mishandling contributions that were supposed to go to the committee.
According to DeMarco, authorities arranged to have Heindorf surrender at the District Attorney’s Office Sept. 27. She was issued an appearance ticket to be in village court later the same day to enter the guilty plea.
Heindorf’s husband, John, resigned as North Syracuse mayor in January.