A former budget analyst for the Albany County Sheriff's Office admitted Thursday to stealing more than $122,000 in public money and trying to cover it up, federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigations said.

John Cox, 61 of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and stealing money from a federally funded governmental agency in a scheme that involved him issuing 16 fraudulent checks drawn from funds, including federal money, held by the sheriff's office, the U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman said.

The crimes occurred between June 2017 and February 2023, while Cox was employed by the sheriff’s office, prosecutors said.

Cox used the checks for himself or to pay down his line of credit, then falsified the county sheriff's records to make it appear the funds were used for items such as vehicle and equipment purchases, officials said. Some of the money was taken from an asset forfeiture program in which the federal government shares proceeds with state and local law enforcement agencies, they said.

Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. He has also agreed to pay $122,251.25 in restitution to the sheriff's office, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.