KINGSTON – Former Ulster County Commissioner of Finance Burton Gulnick, Jr., was sentenced to two years in jail on Friday, following his guilty pleas on October 10, 2023, in connection with the theft of tens of thousands of dollars from a local not-for-profit, as well as monies from a county-wide election campaign account.
Following a lengthy investigation by the New York State Police, Gulnick was arrested in June of 2023 and charged with felonies concerning monies he stole from the Hurley Recreational Association. This not-for-profit organization provides summer activities and programs for children and families. The Hurley Rec suffered losses of over $97,000, resulting in a disruption to children’s programs and activities during the 2023 summer season, according to Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji.
During the investigation, investigators determined that Gulnick also stole thousands of dollars from an election campaign bank account belonging to former Ulster County Executive Michael Hein. “Gulnick abused his position of trust and stole money from both victims for his personal use over an extended period of time,” said Nneji, adding “He manipulated accounting records in both instances to hide his criminal conduct.”
At sentencing, DA Nneji called Gulnick’s conduct “most disappointing, especially given the public trust in him, and that he stole from children, particularly at a time when children were coming out of being homebound for a long time as a result of the pandemic.” It was revealed during the sentencing that Gulnick said that he committed these thefts because he “wanted everything for his kids and could not say no to them.”
District Attorney Nneji required Gulnick to pay restitution of $35,000 to the Hurley Rec and $15,000 to the Hein Campaign before his sentencing date; he has done that. He was also required to waive his appellate rights, sign confessions of judgment for two insurance companies which paid approximately…
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