ALBANY, N.Y. — A former upstate New York mayor has been arrested following a yearslong investigation into allegations that former correction officers were improperly hired into short-term municipal jobs to increase their retirement pensions.
New York State Police arrested former Dannemora Village mayor Richard Scholl in mid January, charging him with falsifying business records and tampering with public records, according to a release from the New York State Comptroller’s office. The arrest followed a joint investigation by the New York State Comptroller’s Office, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and State Police.
According to the state comptroller’s office, Scholl allegedly arranged brief municipal employment for former correction officers who were still employed by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision at the time they retired. As part of the scheme, the officers agreed to complete village projects such as installing sidewalks, recarpeting the senior center, tiling Town Hall bathrooms and making other improvements to village facilities.
State officials allege the officers were paid for only a few days of work and were required to cover the cost of materials themselves. Scholl allegedly falsified time sheets to make it appear the officers had worked long enough as village employees to retire under a more favorable pension tier — increasing their annual benefits by thousands of dollars.
While correction officers in New York may legally work for local municipalities before retirement, officials said the alleged use of falsified records elevated the case from a civil pension dispute to a criminal investigation.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Scholl “abused his position of trust” by shifting long-term pension costs onto the state retirement system.
Scholl, whose term as mayor ended in March 2023, is currently a civilian employee with DOCCS and has been suspended without pay, the agency said. Officials said the investigation remains ongoing and that retirement applications connected to the alleged scheme are under review.
Scholl was arraigned in Dannemora Village Court and is due back in court on Feb. 2. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
