Tag:

Official Misconduct

Capital Region Town Bookkeeper Tried Giving Himself Pay Raise, Police Say Capital Region Town Bookkeeper Tried Giving Himself Pay Raise, Police Say
Capital Region Town Bookkeeper Tried Giving Himself Pay Raise, Police Say A town employee in the region is facing charges after allegedly attempting to give himself an unauthorized pay raise. Columbia County resident Donald Pierro, age 70, of Hillsdale, was arrested Friday, March 22, on suspicion of attempted grand larceny and related charges. Greene County Sheriff’s officials said a Town of Athens employee contacted the agency on Monday, March 18, reporting a possible theft by Pierro, the bookkeeper to Town Supervisor Michael Pirrone. An investigation found that Pierro altered town payroll records in an attempt to benefit himself, deputies said.  Official…
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends A court clerk in the region has been charged with allegedly falsifying business records for "fixing" tickets for friends. Ulster County resident Haley Whalen, age 25, of Ulster Park, was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 13 following an investigation by state police. According to Trooper Steven Nevel, of the New York State Police, an investigation revealed that Whalen, a court clerk with the Town of Saugerties Court, unofficially used her credentials to dismiss tickets on behalf of acquaintances. Whalen was charged with: Four counts of falsifying business records Four counts of tampering with pu…
$15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department $15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department
$15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department A police officer in Westchester from the Hudson Valley faces grand larceny charges after allegedly pocketing $15,000 in cash that was turned in to his department. Putnam County resident Douglas Ramirez, of Mahopac, age 44, who serves as a police officer with the Elmsford Police Department, was arraigned in Elmsford Village Court on grand larceny charges on Wednesday, Sept. 27, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced. According to the DA's Office, on Thursday, July 27 around 3 p.m., Ramirez had accepted a sealed package turned in to the front desk of the El…
Corrections Officer Smuggled Tobacco, Phone For Hudson Valley Jail Inmates, Police Say Corrections Officer Smuggled Tobacco, Phone For Hudson Valley Jail Inmates, Police Say
Corrections Officer Smuggled Tobacco, Phone For Hudson Valley Jail Inmates, Police Say A corrections officer has been arrested on multiple felonies after allegedly smuggling in contraband for inmates at a Hudson Valley jail. Ulster County resident Felicia Waithe, age 28, of Kingston, was arrested at home Wednesday, July 12, following an investigation by sheriff’s officials. According to deputies, Waithe worked as a probationary corrections officer at the Ulster County jail in Kingston. In late June 2023, jail staff were tipped off that Waithe was smuggling contraband into the facility. Sheriff’s officials were also told that she was having inappropriate relationships with in…
Hudson Valley Caseworker Accused Of Stealing More Than $300K From Client Hudson Valley Caseworker Accused Of Stealing More Than $300K From Client
Hudson Valley Caseworker Accused Of Stealing More Than $300K From Client A Westchester County caseworker who resides in Connecticut faces numerous charges after allegedly stealing more than $300,000 from a 95-year-old woman suffering from dementia whom she had been taking care of.  Fairfield County resident Chantel Chenault, age 46, of Danbury, was indicted on multiple charges on Friday, March 24 for stealing from the elderly woman under her care in Westchester, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.  According to officials from James's office, Chenault became the woman's caseworker in 2017 and was employed with the Westch…
NY State Trooper Issued Over 30 Fake Tickets While Patrolling, DA Says NY State Trooper Issued Over 30 Fake Tickets While Patrolling, DA Says
NY State Trooper Issued Over 30 Fake Tickets While Patrolling, DA Says A New York State Trooper is charged with issuing more than 30 false tickets while patrolling parkways, officials said.  Westchester County resident Edward Longo, a 34-year-old resident of Yorktown, was charged and arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 31 for allegedly issuing 32 false tickets to people who were never pulled over while patrolling the Sprain Brook and Taconic State Parkways between May 10, 2021, and Oct. 2, 2022, according to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah.  Longo also allegedly supported depositions containing false statements and information without actuall…
NY Postal Worker Accused Of Stealing Over $70K In Costco Reward Certificates NY Postal Worker Accused Of Stealing Over $70K In Costco Reward Certificates
NY Postal Worker Accused Of Stealing Over $70K In Costco Reward Certificates A New York postal worker is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of Costco rewards certificates and cashing them in for himself. Long Island resident Gerome Fowler, age 32, of North Babylon in Suffolk County, was arrested Monday, Aug. 1 on multiple charges relating to the alleged scheme. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said between December 2021 and May 2022, Fowler used over $6,000 of stolen Costco reward checks that should have been delivered to Costco customers. The thefts allegedly occurred while Fowler worked as a delivery carrier based out of the Bay …
Former Police Chief In NY Arrested, Admits To Misconduct Former Police Chief In NY Arrested, Admits To Misconduct
Former Police Chief In NY Arrested, Admits To Misconduct A former police chief in New York has admitted to misconduct on the job. Robert Ashe, age 62, was arrested Monday, May 16, on charges of official misconduct while serving his position in Rensselaer County, according to New York State Police. Investigators said while working as chief of the Village of Hoosick Falls Police Department, Ashe stole evidence and then created paperwork to cover up the theft. He pleaded guilty Monday in the Village of Hoosick Falls court. The plea came just days after the village announced that Ashe had officially retired after being on paid suspension since De…
NYPD Officer Among Trio Charged In Drug Distribution Ring NYPD Officer Among Trio Charged In Drug Distribution Ring
Nypd Officer Among Trio Charged In Drug Distribution Ring An NYPD officer and two co-conspirators, all from Long Island, are facing charges for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking scheme, authorities announced. Officer Joseph Recca, 28, of West Islip, and two others were arraigned on Wednesday, July 22, Suffolk County officials said. They were arrested the day prior during a traffic stop. Recca, Michael Sosa, of Brentwood, and Michael Corbett, of West Islip, are facing charges that include conspiracy, drug sales, and drug possession. Additionally, Recca was charged with unauthorized use of a computer and official misconduct for allegedly r…
Rockland Resident Indicted For Sex Abuse While On Job As Police Officer Rockland Resident Indicted For Sex Abuse While On Job As Police Officer
Rockland Resident Indicted For Sex Abuse While On Job As Police Officer A police officer who worked in Northern Westchester has been charged with allegedly sexually abusing a woman on four separate occasions. Michael Agovino, 33, of Palisades, was indicted on 20 counts on Friday, March 20, announced Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. The charges are based on several incidents where prosecutors allege that Agovino, while dressed in his Peekskill Police uniform, coerced a victim, illegally entered her home, and sexually abused her, the DA's office said. He is also accused of filing false reports. At least four separate i…
Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up' Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up'
Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up' Billionaire financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein alleged that a former police officer from the area who is behind bars after being charged in a quadruple homicide “roughed him up” before he died, according to a New York Post report. Epstein was found dead in his cell on Saturday, Aug. 10, despite being on a "special observation" watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan. Epstein's special observation required frequent checks by guards and a cellmate at all times, conditions which reportedly not followed. According to an autopsy, Epstein died from a bro…
Former Corrections Officer At Women's Prison Sentenced For Sexual Contact Former Corrections Officer At Women's Prison Sentenced For Sexual Contact
Former Corrections Officer At Women's Prison Sentenced For Sexual Contact A former correction officer at a women’s prison in Westchester will spend time behind bars after pleading guilty to committing a sexual act trafficking contraband to inmates. Iran Colon, 32, an officer who was based at the Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills pleaded guilty late last year to promoting prison contraband and criminal sexual act, both felonies, after being arrested in his Staten Island home in May. On Tuesday, July 2, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., announced that Colon has been sentenced to a term of between one and three years in state p…
New Indictment Served To Ex-Cop Accused Of Killing Four In Area New Indictment Served To Ex-Cop Accused Of Killing Four In Area
New Indictment Served To Ex-Cop Accused Of Killing Four In Area A new indictment has been filed against a former police officer in three Westchester municipalities and one in Dutchess who may face the death penalty after allegedly being involved in the murders of four men in Orange County in 2016. Late in 2016, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former Briarcliff Manor police officer, was charged in a five-count indictment for his participation in a drug conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and for the murders of four men, all of whom lived in Middletown. This week, a new indictment was filed against Tartaglione, charging him with four cou…
Ex-Area Police Office May Face Death Penalty For Quadruple Murder, Report Says Ex-Area Police Office May Face Death Penalty For Quadruple Murder, Report Says
Ex-Area Police Office May Face Death Penalty For Quadruple Murder, Report Says Federal prosecutors will reportedly seek the death penalty against Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer in the lower Hudson Valley who is accused of murdered four men in Orange County in 2016. Late in 2016, Tartaglione, a former Briarcliff Manor police officer, was charged in a five-count indictment for his participation in a drug conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and for the murders of four men, all of whom lived in Middletown. Prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty when his case heads to trial, according to a lohud report. Tartaglione’s defense t…
Wallkill Correction Officer Caught Trying To Bring K2 Into Prison, Police Say Wallkill Correction Officer Caught Trying To Bring K2 Into Prison, Police Say
Wallkill Correction Officer Caught Trying To Bring K2 Into Prison, Police Say A state corrections officer has resigned after he was allegedly nabbed for attempting to bring synthetic marijuana or "K2" into a prison where he was employed. Travon Webb, 30, of Ellenville, was arrested on Monday, Feb. 25, after it was discovered during a search of employees entering the Wall Kill Correctional Facility that he was attempting to bring in some 64 grams of K2, said New York State Police Trooper Steven Nevel. An additional search of Webb's personal vehicle yielded another 137 grams of the drug. At the time of his arrest, Webb was employed as a corrections offic…
Ex-Building Inspector In Rockland Convicted Of Issuing False Certificates Ex-Building Inspector In Rockland Convicted Of Issuing False Certificates
Ex-Building Inspector In Rockland Convicted Of Issuing False Certificates A former Spring Valley building inspector faces up to four years in prison after being found guilty by a jury of issuing false certificates and a host of other charges. Walter Booker, 57, of Spring Valley, was found guilty Tuesday in connection with a scheme that allowed another person to operate a daycare business in a dwelling that was not large enough while serving as the Chief Building Inspector for the village of Spring Valley, said the Rockland County District Attorney's Office. Booker was convicted of backdating a certificate of occupancy which contained a false statement a…
Rockland Attorney Gets Probation For Ticket/Zoning Fixing Rockland Attorney Gets Probation For Ticket/Zoning Fixing
Rockland Attorney Gets Probation For Ticket/Zoning Fixing A Rockland County lawyer was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of official misconduct for fixing traffic tickets and zoning violations. Lawrence Weissman, 56, of Sloatsburg, was sentenced Friday following his guilty plea, said Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.  Weissman, an attorney with offices in West Nyack, was appointed as special prosecutor by the Village of Spring Valley Board of Trustees in 2016. As the special prosecutor, Weissman was in charge of reviewing traffic tickets and zoning violations for the village, the DA's Office said. Form…
Spring Valley Village Attorney Charged With 'Fixing' Tickets, Zoning Issues Spring Valley Village Attorney Charged With 'Fixing' Tickets, Zoning Issues
Spring Valley Village Attorney Charged With 'Fixing' Tickets, Zoning Issues A former Spring Valley Village attorney has been charged with official misconduct for "fixing" tickets and zoning issues, according to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe. Lawrence "Larry" Weissman, 56, of Sloatsburg, was charged Tuesday with one count of official misconduct, the DA's Office said. The arrest is the result of a lengthy investigation by the Public Corruption Task Force, a joint investigative unit for the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI which found that Weissman, who was recommended for the position by former village Tr…
Former Mahwah HS Art Teacher Charged With Having Sex With Student Former Mahwah HS Art Teacher Charged With Having Sex With Student
Former Mahwah HS Art Teacher Charged With Having Sex With Student A former Mahwah High School art teacher was charged with having sex with an underage student there. Joshua Green, 33, of Clifton, was charged with sexual assault, official misconduct and child endangerment.  A Superior Court judge in Paterson freed him, pending further court action, after a detention hearing Thursday afternoon. The teen was a 17-year-old student at Mahwah High School when at least one of two incidents occurred at Green's home in 2015, authorities said. Green, who is married, taught for three years in Mahwah before leaving in 2016. He currently works at the Plainfield Acad…