Former Riverside clerk-treasurer Kristina Johnson was sentenced to jail time for repeatedly stealing village funds to cover her household expenses, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today. Johnson was sentenced to 60 days in jail, five years probation and ordered to pay full restitution of $50,000 to the village.

“Too many public servants confuse the public purse with their own,” DiNapoli said. “Thanks to my partnership with District Attorney Brooks Baker, Ms. Johnson is going to jail and will repay taxpayers.”

Johnson pleaded guilty to grand larceny in Steuben County Court in March. DiNapoli’s audit and investigation found that for more than four years, Johnson cut herself extra paychecks, pocketed water and sewer payments, made unsupported payments to her husband and used village funds to date on Match.com. She was able to do so because village officials provided no oversight of her fiscal activities. The audit prompted the village to tighten its fiscal controls.

Johnson was fired in 2013 and later moved to Kings Mountain, N.C.

To read the audit, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/villages/2014/riverside.pdf

Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and fraud and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at [email protected], or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 14th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.