ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

County Court House Albany, New York 12207 (518) 487-5400

WWW.ALBANYCOUNTYSHERIFF.COM

WILLIAM C. COX
UNDERSHERIFF

CRAIG D. APPLE, SR.

SHERIFF

PAUL M. COURCELLE
CHIEF DEPUTY

MICHAEL S. MONTELEONE
CHIEF DEPUTY

KERRY B. THOMPSON
CHIEF DEPUTY

PRESS RELEASE February 7, 2014

Albany County Sheriff, Craig D. Apple Sr., reports the former treasurer of the Selkirk Fire Departments House #3 has been arrested on charges of allegedly stealing over $18,000.00 from a fire department savings/checking account that she was responsible for from January 2012 to October of 2013. On Friday, February 7, 2014, members of the Albany County Sheriffs Office Professional Standards Unit arrested Heather Lynn Burns (38), a resident of Selkirk, NY and former treasurer of the Selkirk Fire Departments House #3. The case originated when the fire department discovered unauthorized direct payments to a cellular telephone company from their checking/savings account. Sheriffs Investigators conducted a three month long investigation which led to the discovery of over forty unauthorized transactions from the fire departments checking/savings account over the past two years. The unauthorized transactions consisted of money transfers, checks written to cash, checks written out to Heather Burns, cash withdrawals, and direct web payments to credit cards, utility companies, and insurance carriers. Heather Lynn Burns turned herself into Sheriffs Investigators with her attorney and was charged with Grand Larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony. Burns was arraigned in the Town of Bethlehem Court by the Honorable Judge Ryan Donovan and was released on her own recognizance. This investigation is still open with additional charges pending.