Crime & Safety

On Jan. 30, Ex-Asst. Shelton Finance Dir. Faces Jail for Theft [Updated]

Updated, 5:05 p.m.

Scanlon's case has been continued to Jan. 30.

Original Story

Sharon Scanlon, Shelton's former assistant Finance Director, will receive between three and seven years in prison on Thursday for stealing about $1 million from the city.

She will be sentenced in Milford Superior Superior Court at 10 a.m.

Scanlon, of Shelton, agreed to plead no contest in exchange for the sentence. She can argue for the minimum of three years.

The total sentence would 15 years, suspended after three to seven years served, and five years of probation. She must also make restitution and has forfeited her city pension.

It would be the first time Scanlon has publicly spoken about the theft, which amounted to $100,000 a year for nearly 10 years.

At her plea in October 2013, Scanlon's attorney, William Dow, said his client is a "kind and decent woman." Without specifying why she took the money, he said, "I know the judge will be sensitive to [her] situation." He said he would ask for the minimum sentence.

Dow also said Scanlon “had acknowledged responsibility” and “made substantial efforts at restitution.”

A sign of the theft was discovered in February 2012 and she was arrested in January 2013 after a State Police investigation. She resigned in 2012.

Lawlor said a finance employee noticed a voided check on Scanlon's desk for $7,825. She would void and re-issue checks from the city.

Scanlon had "drafted fraudulent checks from the Shelton City Hall and deposited those fraudulent checks into her personal checking account via ATM at selected locations, over a 10-year period," Lawlor said.

The city will try to recover some of the money through insurance and a lien on Scanlon's home.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.