State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Warren County District Attorney Jason M. Carusone and the New York State Police, today announced the arrest of former Lake Luzerne trustee Mark McLain for allegedly swindling $127,723.84 from the South Warren Snowmobile Club (SWSC). McLain was charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.
“McLain allegedly took advantage of his volunteer position and the citizens of Lake Luzerne’s trust to line his own pockets at the expense of valued community services,” DiNapoli said. “Thanks to the work of my team, Warren County District Attorney Carusone and the New York State Police, McLain will have to answer for his misdeeds.”
McLain, 72, served as the SWSC Treasurer from 1999 to early 2020. The club receives funding from various public sources: Warren County, the Town of Queensbury, the Town of Lake Luzerne, the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Village of Lake George and the Town of Lake George.
Money that was intended for operating and maintaining public snowmobile trails throughout the county was instead pocketed by McLain who wrote checks to himself and to cash. He used SWSC money to pay for Lions Club expenses, paid his personal credit card balances in-full and was paid twice for the same reimbursements.
McLain allegedly falsified claims to state and local agencies for club funding and misrepresented SWSC’s financial condition to make it appear the club had a financial need. He allegedly falsified reimbursement claims to Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s “Snowmobile Trail Grant Program” and submitted duplicate claims for expenses that were actually for the Lions Club, not the snowmobile club.
McClain, of Lancaster, S.C., was arraigned in Warren County by Judge Michael Muller and is due back in Luzerne Town Court on Nov. 19, 2022.
The charges filed in this case are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.state.ny.us/investigations, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236.