MORRISTOWN -- Town Councilor David VanArnum has been charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing during his campaign for town councilor.

Investigators say there were alleged deficiencies in the nominating petitions he submitted to run for a seat on the Town Council in 2015.

The investigation by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office centered on whether VanArnam witnessed the signatures on three petition sheets he filed with the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections on July 9, 2015.

The investigators said their examination did not show where any person who signed the petition for VanArnam didn't willingly sign the petition. The problem was at the bottom of the petition sheets, where the person who collects the signatures is supposed to verify with his or her own signature attesting to witnessing the signatures, police said.

On these particular petition sheets, investigators said, family members for VanArnam collected the signatures but did not sign the statement at the bottom of each sheet they carried.

Investigators said David VanArnam signed the petition sheets, indicating he collected and witnessed the signatures, the press release from the Sheriff’s Office said.

A news release said VanArnam cooperated with investigators and was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Canton Town Court on March 16 at 1:30 p.m.

The investigating officer was Detective Sergeant Gus Burns.

The charge of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing is a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison. To be sustained, the charge necessitates that the defendant intended to to defraud.