A Kenyan national based in the United States has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $400,000 (Sh52.7 million) from a local government in New York.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, 41-year-old Tobias Otieno admitted to stealing about Sh52.7 million from the Town of Wallkill.
Otieno, who worked as an auditor with the New York State Office of the State Comptroller, was assigned to audit the Town of Wallkill between June 2022 and September 2024.
During that time, he had access to the town’s bank accounts and financial records.
Prosecutors say he used his position to transfer public funds from the town’s bank accounts into his personal business accounts.
Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence of between four and twelve years when he appears in court for sentencing on June 1, 2026.
Investigations were carried out jointly by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, with support from forensic auditors from the State Comptroller’s office.
A search warrant was executed at Otieno’s residence in Hyde Park in July 2025.
Authorities say no officials from the Town of Wallkill were involved in the fraud. The town’s bank reimbursed the stolen funds after the matter was reported.
Otieno was immediately suspended and later dismissed from his job after the alleged misconduct was discovered.
The case was being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer.
Officials described the crime as a serious abuse of public trust and thanked the agencies involved for their cooperation in the investigation.
“This individual betrayed the public trust and will now pay for it. When his wrongdoing was identified, we immediately partnered with District Attorney David M. Hoovler and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to work jointly to expose his actions and quickly moved to terminate his employment,” said State Comptroller DiNapoli.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked law enforcement agencies that worked together to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the theft of public funds.
“The use of a governmental position to steal public monies is a most serious offense that warrants severe punishment,” said District Attorney Hoovler.
He advised local authorities to reconcile accounts constantly during auditing to ensure the safety of public funds.
“I thank the Town of Wallkill officials for their assistance in this investigation. Municipalities undergoing audits by any outside agencies, whether public or private, should have ongoing communications with auditors, including familiarizing themselves with audit procedures; however, the constant monitoring and reconciling of accounts is the surest way to safeguard public funds."
