Saratoga Springs man stole $33K from St. Clement's Horse Show, police say

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

Police have arrested a city man on felony charges related to overcharging the St. Clement’s Horse Show for t-shirts and souvenirs he bought for it.

Charles D. Walling, 56, of Waterview Drive, has been charged with six counts of second-degree forgery, six counts of first-degree falsifying business records, one count each of third-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheming to defraud.

The arrest stemmed from an investigation police started in mid-July into thefts from the annual horse show, which benefits St. Clement’s school. A member of the horse show committee had reported his suspicions to police.

Police allege that Walling stole a total of $33,303.01 from the sale of t-shirts and souvenirs at the St. Clements Horse Show between April 2005 and May 2011. They said he would order a quantity of shirts that were sold at the horse show, submit falsified invoices for an amount larger than the actual cost of the shirts, and then keep the difference. The invoices allegedly were forged in the name of a legitimate company and submitted to the St. Clements Horse Show, which would pay Walling the amount listed on the invoices.

Walling was arraigned by Saratoga Springs City Court Judge Jeffrey Wait this morning, pleaded innocent, and is scheduled to return to City Court on October 13.