The former highway superintendent for the Schoharie County town of Wright, 54-year-old Harry F. Beninati, turned himself in to state police on Thursday, October 11 after a three-month police investigation into the town's diesel fuel purchases.
Police say Beninati told town employees not to fill out fuel logs in order to cover up the theft of diesel fuel. Because of the falsified fuel logs, police say, officials were not able to account for 8,060 gallons of fuel purchased while Beninati was highway superintendent.
Beninati faces first-degree charges of falsifying business records -- a felony -- and the misdemeanors of official misconduct and petit larceny.
Wright's current highway superintendent is Jim McLean, who defeated Beninati in a local election in November of 2011.
State police were assisted by the Schoharie County District Attorney's office.
Update added 10/24/2013: In April of 2013, the charges against Beninati were dismissed by a Schoharie County grand jury. Beninati told News 10 that he used the fuel for flood relief work after Irene. "I had board permission to put this fuel in my truck," he said.
