NY AG Files Criminal Charges Against Judge For Allegedly Swiping Bail Money, Fees From Court Bank Account To Save Home From Foreclosure

From the Office of the New York Attorney General:

• Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo [Tuesday] announced criminal charges against a former town judge for using $27,000 in fees and bail money from a court bank account for personal use. According to the complaint, James Funk, 47, of Hudson, while sitting as a judge of the Stockport Town Court in Columbia County, withdrew funds from the court’s bank account on four occasions in order to pay the taxes and utility bill on the Diamond Street Diner, his Hudson restaurant, and to stave off the foreclosure of his personal residence.

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• An audit conducted by the Unified Court System’s Internal Audit Unit found that the money withdrawn by Funk was mostly attributable to bail money held by the Court for pending cases. As judge, Funk was the sole authorized signatory for the court bank account, and was also responsible for collecting, recording, depositing, and distributing fines and fees that are paid to the court.

For the entire press release, see Attorney General Cuomo Announces Arrest Of Former Town Judge For Charges Including Grand Larceny And Official Misconduct.