Saratoga County Sheriff: Correction officer stole thousands from union

BALLSTON SPA — A Saratoga County correction officer and one-time head of the union has been arrested for taking thousands of dollars from the union, the Saratoga Count Sheriff’s Department said.

Dezmond A. Slade, 35, of Saratoga Springs, faces one count of third-degree grand larceny and other charges.

Slade is accused of using the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Officers Association’s credit card to pay for $4,500 of personal expenses, and also withdrawing more than $11,000 from the association’s accounts, officials said.

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Slade served as head of the association, which represents correction officers, jail cooks, communications officers and civil employees, from May 2015 to December 2018, officials said. He continued as a correction officer and was suspended without pay upon his arrest Tuesday, officials said.

As the investigation was underway, Slade allegedly provided a forged document to try and conceal the thefts. He is also accused of making false entries in records and omitting others.

The investigation continues, including into other “questionable financial transactions,” sheriff’s officials said.

In all, Slade faces the grand larceny count, one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and two counts of first-degree falsifying business records, all felonies.

Slade was arraigned and released to return to court later.

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