POUGHQUAG – In January, the Town of Beekmans newly appointed financial officers noticed something amiss. Years of bookkeeping records were irregular and difficult to follow. And invoice payments had been regularly delayed. One company, American Express, had been paid a substantial sum — nearly $400,000. There was one major problem. The town had never done business with American Express, the officials said. What happened next — a criminal investigation, the execution of a search warrant and a grand-jury indictment — led to Beekmans former town comptroller and longtime Democratic presence, Fred Knapp, being arraigned before a judge in Dutchess County Court on Friday.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 13:45:56 +0000