A.G. Schneiderman announces guilty plea of Town of Niagara supervisor Steven Richards

Richards to resign immediately and make full restitution of $1,240.37

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the conviction of Steven C. Richards and his immediate retirement as Town of Niagara supervisor. Richards, 61, of Lawson Drive in Niagara, pleaded guilty to official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, before the Hon. Christopher J. Burns in Niagara County Court. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14.

"Steven Richards has admitted that he misused his position and used town resources to benefit himself personally, abusing both his office and the trust placed in him by the public," Schneiderman said. "He has vacated his office and submitted his retirement papers last week. With Richards' retirement and guilty plea, we have ensured that hardworking Niagara families will no longer have to pay for their town supervisor's personal use of town property and resources."

Specifically, Richards admitted he used Town of Niagara workers on town time in Town of Niagara vehicles to pick up and deliver a catch basin to his personal place of business, Richards Motor Service, located at 5000 Sweet Home Road in the Town of Niagara.

The indictment was the result of an investigation conducted by special agents Robert Gross and Brian Burns of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; attorney general investigators Sandy Migaj and Denise Crawford; and chief investigator Richard Doyle. The attorney general thanked the FBI for its assistance with this case.

The case was prosecuted by assistant attorneys general Diane M. LaVallee and Paul McCarthy; deputy bureau chief of public integrity bureau, Stacey Aronowitz; chief of public integrity bureau, Daniel Cort; and executive deputy attorney general for criminal justice, Kelly Donovan.