On April 24, former Mamaroneck Public Library employee Mary Soto pled guilty to a Class E Felony for defrauding the Mamaroneck Public Library. Her plea bargain included a $43,900 fine and 3 years of probation.

“It does not begin to repair the damages done,” stated Library Director Jennifer O’Neill, “but we will have to turn the page and continue the long struggle to make the library whole again. I have faith that, going forward, the library board will secure adequate, sustainable funding – which will enable us to pay back the funds we were forced to borrow to keep the library open. We are grateful to Renee Hassel, Westchester County Assistant District Attorney of the Public and Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau, and her team, for their commitment and professionalism in this matter.”

Mary Soto was not charged for the years of knowingly and willfully deceiving the Library Board with false financial statements, leading them to believe that the Library had millions of dollars in cash reserves that did not exist. As the Board creates the annual budget based on these financial statements, a massive shortfall was discovered and nearly closed the Library. The Board was compelled to ask former Mayor Tom Murphy and the Village Board for help in securing $1.2 million to keep the library open. The library is on track to pay that amount back by the end of fiscal year 2025.

In February 2023, the Mamaroneck Public Library Board of Trustees became aware of financial irregularities within the Library’s business office. In response, swift action was taken with the initiation of a comprehensive financial forensic audit, focusing on potential misappropriation and the examination of all Library accounts. The outcomes prompted the Westchester District Attorney to charge former employee Mary Soto with grand larceny in the third degree for the theft of $44,769 from 2016-2023.