111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-3586
Fax: (914) 995-2116
Feb. 13, 2013 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Joseph Russo (DOB 12/26/65) of 2 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned today on a Felony Complaint charging him with:
- Two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies.
The defendant, a Mount Vernon police officer, submitted overtime reports, MV-5s and Westchester County Traffic Safety Board STEP forms to the Mount Vernon Police Department indicating that he had worked two hours of overtime on September 17, 2012 and September 18, 2012, when in fact he had not.
The officer reported that on both of these days he had worked overtime from 5am to 7am under the STEP program. As a result, the defendant received approximately $226.60 in overtime payments to which he was not entitled.
The Selective Traffic Safety Enforcement (STEP) Program is a County traffic safety program that provides funds to county and local police departments to actively participate in state-sponsored speeding and aggressive driving campaigns. All local and county police agencies participate in this program and receive funds.
An investigation by Mount Vernon Police Internal Affairs Unit resulted in the officer’s suspension yesterday and subsequent arrest today.
The defendant was arraigned in Yonkers City Court and was released on his own recognizance.
The defendant’s next court date is March 27th, 2013.
He faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison.
Assistant District Attorney Berit Huseby of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.
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In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
