25°
Shelia Seward, age 59, of West Babylon, a former employee of the Elmont Memorial Library, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 24, for the theft which took place between 2012 and 2018, said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.
“Sheila Seward stole more than $260,000 from the Elmont Library by increasing the amount on her paycheck more than 100 times during a six-year period,” Singas said. “I thank the Elmont Memorial Library for their cooperation in this investigation and I’m glad that the stolen money will be returned to this important community fixture.”
As an administrative assistant for the library, Seward, who pleaded guilty last year, was responsible for preparing the payroll, which gave her access to the library’s finances, Singas said.
Beginning in August 2012, Seward, without permission from library officials, began to add excess payments labeled as ‘other compensation’ to her paychecks.
The amounts she added to her checks ranged from $39.00 to $6,900 and increased over time as she became more emboldened in her theft. In total, she added money to her paychecks more than 100 times, Singas said.
Following a review of the library’s financial statements by an outside accounting firm, library officials became aware of the scheme in September 2018 and reported the case to the District Attorney Office.
Seward said she used the money for medical bills and college tuition. She resigned from her position at the library in August 2018.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Brentwood and receive free news updates.
