Former Bellport union treasurer Fannie Bowe charged with stealing from union, DA Tierney says

The former treasurer of the Bellport Teachers Association Affiliates union accused of stealing more than $20,000 from the organization between July 2021 and January 2023 was charged with third-degree larceny and other charges, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said. 

Suffolk District Court Judge Bernard Cheng ordered Fannie Bowe, 54, released on her own recognizance during an arraignment in Central Islip on Friday.

Bowe, a Bellport resident who worked as school monitor for the South Country Central School District, was also charged with two counts of first-degree falsifying business records.

Tierney said Bowe, elected as the treasurer of the Bellport Teachers Association Affiliates in October 2020, used her union-issued debit card over the 18-month period to make more than $2,500 in unauthorized purchases and $18,000 in unauthorized ATM withdrawals. 

Bowe submitted multiple false treasurer’s reports to the union’s executive board to conceal the theft, Tierney said. The misuse of the debit card was discovered after union officials questioned expenses on her submitted reports. 

Bowe is no longer employed by the South Country Central School District, according to a spokeswoman, who declined to comment further. 

Bowe is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk, which declined to comment.

Union officials did not respond to a request for comment. The Bellport Teachers Association Affiliates represents teacher  assistants and school aides employed by the South Country Central School District, and its funding is generated by member dues.

If convicted, Bowe faces 21/3 to seven years in prison. She is scheduled to return to court on Thursday. 

“This defendant is alleged to have violated the trust of her colleagues, the hardworking educational professionals of the South Country Central School District,” Tierney said. “One of Suffolk County’s greatest assets is its outstanding educational system, and my office is committed to prosecuting those who would seek to unlawfully profit by stealing from any entity that contributes to the system.”