The former Ogdensburg City Councilor accused of forging receipts for a WWE fundraiser plead guilty yesterday in St. Lawrence County Court. As a condition of that plea he will lose his job and be required to pay back over $15,000.
47-year-old Kresten F. Ericksen pleaded guilty Monday afternoon in St. Lawrence County Court to a single misdemeanor count of 3rd degree forgery. Ericksen agreed to reimburse the school district $12,235 it spent for an audit of student council finances, as well as $3,100 for proceeds of a Harlem Wizards event at the dome which were never deposited in the bank and are still unaccounted for.
The investigation at Ogdensburg Free Academy began after WWE officials complained they had received about $15,000 less than expected from the second of two shows at the school's Golden Dome in July 2006.
State police arrested Ericksen in September of last year on a count of 2nd degree Forgery. Ericksen, who was the Student Council Advisor at the time of the WWE events, allegedly forged an $8,000 receipt, making it appear the WWE had been paid for the event, when in fact no such receipt had been issued by the WWE.
An audit of the school’s finances showed several events held at the Dome had money missing from ticket sales. The audit itself was the subject of a lawsuit attempting to force the District to release the full audit, as the heavily-redacted portion released to the public omitted much information.
A longtime member of the Ogdensburg City Council, Ericksen decided not to seek reelection this year. He had been on administrative leave from his job as Director of the Golden Dome since his arrest. He must resign from his job as dome manger before sentencing on June 30th, where he could be sentenced to up to a year in jail.
