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Former Norwalk assistant town clerk arrested

By Mark Chapman

(Updated with information released by Norwalk Police at 4:29 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30)

Deborah Troy
Deborah Troy

NORWALK, Conn. – Former Norwalk Assistant Town Clerk Debbie Troy has been arrested and charged with first-degree felony larceny in connection with money discovered missing from the clerk’s office last spring, according to Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik.

A press release was issued at 4:11 p.m.:

“The arrest warrant was the result of an 11-month investigation conducted by Detective Bill Maloney and CPA Stephen Pedneault, both Certified Fraud Examiners through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Austin, Texas.

“The investigation documented that more than $3,000 dollars had been taken and that this activity had been occurring since at least 2010. As the crime involved ‘defrauding a public community,’ the theft is considered a Larceny 1st degree under Connecticut General Statutes, a Class B felony.”

The warrant charges  Troy, 42, of 6 Catalpa St., Norwalk, with one count of Larceny 1st degree, CGS 53a-122.

“The Norwalk Police Department began its investigation upon receiving a complaint from Norwalk Town Clerk Richard McQuaid, who discovered irregularities in various transactions at the Norwalk Town Clerk’s Office.

“Troy turned herself in to the Norwalk Police Department after arrangements were made through her attorney.”

Troy was released on a written Promise to Appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Nov. 8.

According to the Connecticut Penal Code, first degree felony larceny is a Class B felony. Conviction can carry a prison term of one to 20 years and a fine of up to $15,000.

Troy, who is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the city while employed in the town clerk’s office, was fired in late June. She had been placed on leave in January while the matter was under investigation.

Troy made $73,658.91 in 2012, documents show. She had been collecting a salary while on leave. Troy filed a grievance after she was fired last summer, to try to get her job back.

The missing money was discovered by McQuaid almost a year ago. McQuaid was elected in November 2011 after longtime clerk Andy Garfunkel chose to leave the position and run for mayor. Garfunkel lost to Ricard Moccia by about 880 votes.

“We did not know this was going to take place,” McQuaid said Wednesday after the arrest.

McQuaid is running unopposed for re-election this year.

Comments

10 responses to “Former Norwalk assistant town clerk arrested”

  1. D(ysfunctinoal)TC

    Don’t forget to report that her union, NASA, you know the one supporting Harry Rilling is fighting hard to have her permanent job reinstated and fought hard to make sure she was suspended with pay during the investigation. Please find out if she has to pay this back or what? Would Harry as Mayor support NASA’s position here?

  2. EveT

    The comment about Rilling and the union is a transparently desperate attempt to deflect damning evidence away from Moccia, McQuaid, and probably Garfunkel.

  3. EastNorwalkChick

    Ms. Troy will have her day in court, then we will know all the details….in this Country you are innocent, until proven guilty.

  4. D(ysfunctinoal)TC

    And in the real world people can be fired for wearing the wrong color tie. But in City Hall you can steal from taxpayers, get a paycheck for not working, and expect to be Mayor with support from the same folks who support this former behavior.
    .
    You can’t blame this on Moccia or McQuaid. It might not even have come to light if Rick wasn’t watching the store.
    .
    But it can certainly be asked of a candidate for Mayor his position on whether or not workers under investigation for criminal activities should continue to receive paychecks? I doubt Rilling would answer the question, but it could be asked can’t it?

  5. Oldtimer

    D(ysfunctionoal)
    No need to ask, Moccia’s opinion is clear. As long as her contract provided for her, as an employee suspected, but neither charged nor convicted, to get paid while on “leave”, she got paid. As soon as the city had what the personell dept felt was enough evidence to support firing, she was fired in June and stopped getting paid. She is now charged, not convicted, and presumed innocent. The court will determine if she is guilty and take it’s action. The State Labor Board will determine if the firing was appropriate and followed the contract. If not, she may be awarded some back pay. As I recall the published story, Hasselkamp conducted a hearing, required by her contract, and he determined she should be fired. That hearing, and the due process requirements in the contract, will be the issue for the labor board. We will soon find out, if she is guilty of the larceny, and if her due process rights were violated when she was fired.
    I doubt if Rilling’s opinion would be much different although he would probably be more careful about her due process rights when she was fired and would encourage a faster resolution of the criminal investigation.

  6. Just a thought

    This is for dysfunctional….
    How about the term innocent until proven guilty?NASA representatives are doing their job as a member of the union they have the right to protest all those things especially because there was no proof. And the fact that you credit McQuaid for “watching the store” pretty impressive that a guy with no experience on his first term was able to notice something that was going on under everyone’s nose for years? Pretty impressive huh? Not to mention an 11 month investigation where there was enough evidence to fire her in June but not enough evidence to get a warrant for arrest from any prosecutor in county but magically one week before elections a warrant comes through out of Norwalk. An office where Moccia’s daughter is a prosecutor seems very suspicious if you ask me.

  7. EastNorwalkChick

    @Just a thought…I guess now Moccia can say how tough on crime he is…

  8. Mr. Ludlow

    The union that the city hall employee belongs to is the Norwalk Assistants and Supervisors Association (which is called “NASA”). Sorry to disappoint D(ysfunctinoal)TC but it is a different group than the Norwalk Association of School Administrators (also “NASA”). The school group endorsed Rilling, the City hall group did not.

  9. Karma is a ****!

    If it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck and walks like a duck .. It’s a duck.

    Garfunkel belongs where he is right now… He couldn’t even take care of a department, never mind an entire city!

  10. Oldtimer

    “Innocent until proven guilty” is still an important part of our legal process. As the details are coming out, Ms Troy is not accused of stealing over $10,000, the normal threshold for 1st degree larceny. She is accused of taking, over a long period of time and several events, a much smaller amount, maybe $3000. The only reason she is charged with 1st degree is because she took from the City, if the charges are accurate. Don’t be too shocked if the charge is reduced and she is allowed to make restitution and enter a first offender program, if her lawyer is good at his/her job, and she does not have a past record.
    As much as I have criticized Moccia, he probably had nothing to do with the timing of her arrest. There is not much benefit for him in her arrest now.

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