A Wading River woman was arrested last week after allegedly accepting bribes and falsifying paperwork for a license application while working at the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
Prosecutors said Brianna Hassett, 33, of Wading River was working as an office assistant in the licensing unit of the county agency when she allegedly provided the questions and answers to the proficiency exam necessary to obtain a vocational home improvement license to an applicant, and falsified insurance information on the license application, in exchange for cash bribes, according to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
“The allegations in this case represent a shocking violation of the public trust, as this defendant is accused of placing her own greed ahead of her duty as a public servant,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement. “My office will not tolerate corruption in any government agency or department.”
Hassett engaged in those acts in concert with Esteban Bermudez, 35, of Hampton Bays, who is not a county employee, according to the press release. Both Bermudez and Hassett were arrested on February 13, according to the press release.
Hassett was arraigned and charged with two counts of third-degree bribe receiving, class D felonies; one count of degree falsifying of business records in the first degree, a class E felony; one count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, a Class E felony; and one count of official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, according to the district attorney’s office.
The district attorney’s office said Bermudez was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned on March 5.
Hassett was released and will be monitored by the Department of Probation’s Pre-Trial Supervision unit during the pendency of the case, according to prosecutors. She is due back in court on March 12 and faces 3 1⁄2 to 7 years in prison if convicted on the top count, according to the district attorney’s office. Hassett’s attorney, Brian Trodden, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The district attorney’s office asked that anybody who believes they have been “victimized” by Hassett to call (631) 853-4626.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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