Old Field's former treasurer pleads guilty to stealing village funds

The former treasurer of Old Field village has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole almost $60,000 worth of village funds to shop on Internet sites and pay personal expenses.

Andrea Brosnan, 43, of Port Jefferson, agreed to pay $59,151 in restitution to the village after she pleaded guilty Wednesday in Suffolk County Court in Central Islip to one count of third-degree grand larceny, a felony.

As part of the plea agreement, the felony conviction will be reduced to petty larceny, a misdemeanor, if Brosnan completes a year of probation, said her attorney, Anthony La Pinta, of Hauppauge.

District Attorney Thomas Spota said in a statement that Brosnan also would be required to perform community service as part of her probation.

Brosnan was village treasurer for about three years before she resigned in 2012. She had previously served as deputy village clerk for one year.

A state audit released last year found that Brosnan used $46,289 in village funds to make personal purchases of items such as gasoline, a digital camera, cookbooks and New York Yankees paraphernalia. She also falsified payroll reports to claim she had worked an additional 607 hours, resulting in $12,862 in fraudulent earnings, the audit said.

The audit showed that Brosnan used village-issued gas cards, petty cash and electronic payments to make purchases such as fuel, food, laundry supplies, clothing and an air mattress. Receipts showed Brosnan used village funds to airmail a package to France, send priority mail to Portland, Oregon, and send a 4-pound parcel post box to Costa Rica, the comptroller's office said.

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In a statement Wednesday, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Brosnan "used taxpayer funds as her personal piggy bank."

La Pinta said Brosnan was "thrilled" with the plea agreement. "My client is extremely remorseful for her actions and looks forward to putting this event behind her," La Pinta said.

The village, on the north shore of Brookhaven Town, has about 900 residents and a $900,000 annual budget.

The state audit faulted village officials for lax oversight that allowed Brosnan to rob village coffers.

Mayor Michael Levine, in a written response to the audit, said village officials upgraded their oversight of village spending by requiring monthly treasurer's reports and reviewing details of expenditures.

The village planned to seek about $50,000 in insurance compensation for losses associated with Brosnan's thefts. Levine could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

In his statement, Spota said, "I'm optimistic the local government has learned that tighter fiscal controls are in order, as recommended by Comptroller DiNapoli in his comprehensive report on village finances."