Former Niagara Falls Mayor Vincenzo Anello, 64, was charged this week with stealing more than $94,000 from an employee pension fund and falsifying the number of hours he worked as an electrician as a means to collect his pension in violation of fund rules.

The criminal complaint, filed by U.S. Attorney William Hochul Jr., accuses Anello of "knowingly and intentionally" embezzling and stealing funds for his own benefit.

The complaint details charges that Anello, who worked as an electrician for 33 years, falsified reports documenting the number of hours he worked during his retirement. Pension rules state that if a retiree works more than 40 hours per month, the pension benefits are suspended.

Anello was a one-term mayor of Niagara Falls, serving from 2004 to 2007. The criminal charges he faces carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.