Ex-building chief pleads guilty to corruption charges

Former Town of North Hempstead Building Commissioner David Wasserman pleaded guilty to seven charges resulting from a corruption scandal Tuesday. The guilty pleas are part of a deal that will put Wasserman

News 12 Staff

May 27, 2008, 11:03 PM

Updated 6,230 days ago

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Former Town of North Hempstead Building Commissioner David Wasserman pleaded guilty to seven charges resulting from a corruption scandal Tuesday.
The guilty pleas are part of a deal that will put Wasserman in jail for a year once he?s sentenced, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. He pleaded guilty to grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records and receiving unlawful gratuities.
Prosecutors say Wasserman was at the heart of the largest ring of corruption ever in Nassau County. They say greed and corruption in the building department caused chaos for tens of thousands of North Hempstead residents.
Wasserman is the third person convicted in an investigation that revealed inspectors and building department employees receiving favors and payments in exchange for granting permits without inspections.
Rice says Wasserman signed off on projects for which he was the private architect, but claimed someone else had done the work. He also admitted to accepting a fitness center membership after approving its construction application and failing to report income from his architectural business.
Wasserman?s lawyer says the district attorney has overblown his client?s role in the scandal. He also says his client?s crimes were private in nature.
A fourth former employee is expected to go on trial Wednesday. Wasserman is scheduled to be sentenced July 1.