DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WKBW) — A former Dunkirk city treasurer is facing multiple felony charges, accused of stealing more than $120,000 from the city and falsifying records to conceal the theft.
Mark Woods, who served as Dunkirk’s elected treasurer for more than 25 years, is charged with grand larceny, public corruption and 12 counts of offering a false instrument for filing.
Prosecutors claim Woods stole cash payments made to the city between April 2022 and January 2025, then manipulated records to hide the stolen money.
According to the State Comptroller's Office, the investigation began in March 2025, when Dunkirk School District officials noticed irregularities.
WATCH: Dunkirk Treasurer's Office closed at direction of State Comptroller’s Office amid investigation
Investigators allege Woods used a “check-for-cash substitution scheme,” failing to record certain tax payments and using them to offset shortfalls caused by stolen cash. Authorities claim Woods deposited some of the money into his personal bank account. “Any abuse of office by a public official is intolerable, but to steal public funds while resident taxes rise to cover financial shortfalls is particularly appalling," said NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
According to investigators, a forensic review of Woods' finances found large withdrawals allegedly used for gambling, with spending far exceeding his income.
Woods retired in 2025, when the treasurer’s office was abolished.
State Sen. George Borrello told 7 News that it's past time for a control board to be instated to oversee Dunkirk's finances.
The embezzlement allegations are "a sign of a much larger problem, that there's no financial accountability," Borrello said. "You know, this treasurer who's been arrested, he was operating with pencil and paper. He had no accounting software whatsoever. No record-keeping. The comptroller's office was beside themselves because they couldn't actually do a proper audit because of how bad the records were."
WATCH: Former Dunkirk treasurer indicted for allegedly stealing more than $120k from city
