Former Parks & Rec. Director Pleads Guilty to Grand Larceny

The man who once served as director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of Binghamton has pleaded guilty to grand larceny. 72-year-old John Whalen admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from Binghamton between early 2007 and late 2012. He had served as the department’s director for 42 years. As part of a plea deal, Whalen will be sentenced to one to four years in state prison, unless he is able to pay full restitution of over $79,000. That money would have to be paid before his sentencing on July 24th. If he is able to make the payment, Whalen will serve six months in the Broome County jail with a $5,000 fine, along with five years of probation.