Former Wampsville clerk pleads guilty to felony larceny charges

Former Wampsville Village Clerk Barbara Butler will serve up to six months in Madison County Jail and pay more than $24,000 she took from municipal coffers between April 2009 to August 2011.

Butler, 51, of 109. S. Court St., Wampsville, was arrested Sept. 23 and charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony. She abruptly resigned from office in August, after serving nearly 13 years as village clerk and treasurer.

She appeared in court Wednesday to plead guilty to the charge, waiving her right to indictment by a grand jury.

An audit released by the state comptroller’s office Nov. 2 estimated that Butler took more than $18,000 by writing herself extra paychecks and pocketing cash payments from residents.

The restitution figure was set at $24,292.63 during Wednesday’s court proceeding.

“I felt desperate at the time I did it,” a tearful Butler told Madison County Judge Biagio DiStefano Wednesday. “I just want to apologize.”

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Heely said Butler faced a maximum sentence of two and a third to seven years incarceration.

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