Three Village of  Liberty employees arrested

Posted 12/13/19

MONTICELLO, NY — Three employees of the Village of Liberty Department of  Public Works (DPW) have been arrested and charged with various counts related to public corruption.  At a …

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Three Village of  Liberty employees arrested

Posted

MONTICELLO, NY — Three employees of the Village of Liberty Department of  Public Works (DPW) have been arrested and charged with various counts related to public corruption.  At a news conference at the Sullivan County District Attorney’s office on December 13 Liberty Police Chief Scott Kinne said,   “The crux of the whole investigation is one of our DPW  supervisors, Peter Parks, also had a private business called Pete Parks Construction, and he utilized village DPW workers to work in his private business while they were being paid by the Village of Liberty.”

Parker, 61 was arrested and charged with various felony counts including grand larceny.   Michael Houghtaling, 52, and Daniel Curry, 37, both also DPW employees, were also arrested and charged with various felonies.     

Chief Assistant District Attorney Meagan Galligan said three search warrants were executed during the investigation, two of them on Dec. 12.  She said, “The Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office is committed to justice at every level, including holding those entrusted with public funds responsible and accountable when they abuse the public’s trust.”

The amount of fraud involved was at least $1,000 which meets the threshold for grand larceny, but the investigation continues and the entirety of the fraud was not immediately known.  There is still a lot of paperwork to be studied.  So far, the investigation has gone on for four months.

Parker had been a DPW employee for nearly 30 years, and the other two had more than eight years.  Liberty Mayor Ronald Stabak said the three employees had resigned and are no longer working for the village.

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