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Small N.Y. Town Clerk Guilty Of Embezzlement

GOSHEN, N.Y. (AP) -- The treasurer of a small village in Orange County has admitted stealing more than $76,000 from the municipality.

Former Otisville clerk Barbara McDowell pleaded guilty to a grand larceny charge Friday in Orange County Court.
The Times Herald-Record, of Middletown, reports that McDowell's voice shook as she admitted taking the money over five years.

Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence her to six months in jail.

Village officials say they had to borrow money and raise taxes to address budget shortfalls caused by the thefts.

McDowell's lawyer blamed the thefts on "personal and family pressures" that caused her life to "spiral out of control." He says she will pay everything back.

Her sentencing has been scheduled for June 10.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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