Bemus Point Village Hall

BEMUS POINT — A former village clerk and treasurer accused in February of using funds for personal use pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Wednesday on the condition that the stolen money be repaid in full.

Bemus Point is owed just over $58,000 from Jennifer Jaeger as part of an agreement announced by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The 39-year-old woman pleaded guilty in Ellery Town Court to a charge of petit larceny.

Jaeger admitted — between 2015 to 2020 — to writing village checks to herself using forged signatures of officials and had village officials sign blank checks that she then cashed. Additionally, she reportedly used the village bank account to pay for herself and her family’s personal cell phones and car payments, and to purchase Christmas gifts.

Charges announced earlier this year included second-degree grand larceny, two counts of second-degree forgery and first-degree falsifying business records, all felonies, along with official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

In a statement, DiNapoli said Jaeger “disregarded the distinction between public funds and her own pocketbook.”

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said the thefts were not a victimless crime. “The village of Bemus Point, like many of our local municipalities here in Chautauqua County, is engaged in an every-day battle to service its residents with precious little money,” he said. “Every dollar stolen is a dollar not spent on the community. Here, we secured full restitution to the village for the money which was stolen. The plea resolution was conditioned on full repayment up front, and this is the only reason why a reduction in the charge was put on the table, to guarantee that Bemus Point gets all its money back now, and in one shot, rather than face the uncertainty of pursuing repayment through the civil judgment enforcement mechanisms available under the law. This was our number one concern.”

Bemus Point Mayor Bryan Dahlberg previously said the state Comptroller’s Office reached out to the village last year and noted irregularities in some of the village’s financial reports. At the advice of the DA’s office, Jaeger was placed on unpaid leave at the time.

In an interview in February, Dahlberg expressed disappointment over the allegations of theft from the village.

“When you hire someone, you hope that they can do the job,” Dahlberg told The Post-Journal. “You’re sitting across the room with them for five years, and I guess I’m just disappointed, among other emotions — mostly disappointed.”

It wasn’t known if Jaeger had an attorney who could speak on her behalf.