Steve Lieberman

slieberm@lohud.com

RAMAPO - Rockland District Attorney's Office corruption probers seized more records Friday from the building department, whose chief inspector, Anthony Mallia, already faces 188 charges accusing him of stealing $150,000 in taxpayer funds by undercharging certain builders for permits.

"This is a continuing investigation into the building department," Executive Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran told The Journal News/lohud.com.

Moran, who oversees the special investigations unit for District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, said he couldn't comment further.

Two detectives, Martin Ancin and Russell Crawford, were among the law enforcement officers behind the building department counter on Friday, talking with Building Inspector Ian Smith, clerks, and Deputy Town Attorney Alan Berman, whose job includes advising the Planning Board.

Smith, who has taken over while Mallia remains suspended, didn't return a message for comment left at the department. Puchasing Director Mona Montal, who is the liaison to the departments, couldn't be reached for comment.

Town Attorney Michael Klein said the town complies with the requests of law enforcement and provided whatever was sought. He referred additional questions to the District Attorney's Office.

Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, who faces separate federal charges including securities fraud, was not in his office and could not be reached for comment. He's apparently taking time off as his federal trial is scheduled for April 19 in the White Plains federal courthouse, his office said.

PREVIOUS: Ramapo Building Inspector Anthony Mallia indicted on 188 charges

EARLIER STORY: Ramapo Building Inspector Anthony Mallia arrested

ARREST COVERAGE: Mallia suspended

After months of investigation and seizure of permits and other records pertaining to construction in 2015, a Rockland grand jury indicted Mallia in February.

The indictment alleges Mallia developed an elaborate scheme to steal taxpayer money rather than to ensure public safety and compliance, Zugibe said. His office is part of an anti-corruption task force along with U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI in White Plains.

At the same time, Mallia also is accused of overcharging the Moleston Fire District for a building permit by $75,000. The Moleston Fire District oversees the Hillcrest Fire Department and oversaw construction of a new multi-million dollar firehouse on Route 45.

Mallia, an employee since getting hired as a part-time in March 2008 at $24,127, has pleaded not guilty after being arrested Sept. 15. No trial date has been set and his next County Court appearance is scheduled for June 6 before Judge David Zuckerman n New City.

Maillia remains suspended but still gets his $169,618 annual salary as civil service law mandates he will continue to be paid while suspended, officials said.

Millia's attorney David Goldstein, said his client is prepared for trial even if the District Attorney's Office continues to generate more documents. He said he's still going over materials provided by the prosecutors and the building department files he sought under the freedom of information law from Ramapo.

An estimated 50 building department files are potentially involved in the case. The files contain permits, possible certificates of occupancy. A Journal News investigation found three of the developers allegedly given breaks on permit fees from Mallia were major donors to the campaign fund of St. Lawrence.

He said pre-trial hearings have not yet been scheduled, let alone a trial.

"We're still in the infancy of the case," Goldstein said. "Everytime they do something they generate more materials. We have to look at the materials when they turn them over."

PREVIOUS: Mallia 'helped' three developers who donated to St. Lawrence

The grand jury charged Mallia with two felony counts of second-degree grand larceny. He faces 66 counts of first-degree falsifying business records and 40 felony counts each of first-degree tampering with public record and issuing a false certificate, along with 40 counts of misdemeanor official misconduct.

Zugibe and Executive Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran have said the office will not be releasing the names of the builders and contractors who benefited from the reduced permit fees.

RAMAPO COVERAGE: Councilman Sam Tress resigns

RAMAPO CORRUPTION CASE: Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence t rial in April

PLEA DEAL: Troodler will testify against Ramapo's St. Lawrence

Under Mallia's tenure as chief building inspector, allegations of a lack of enforcement led the New York Division of Building Standards and Codes to assign a monitor to oversee Ramapo's building department. The division said it had determined the town and its building department had not been enforcing fire and zoning codes, allowing schools to operate without planning board approval and buildings to linger with violations.

The monitor, Erica Krieger, along with another in Spring Valley, were assigned after the state threatened to take control of those communities' inspections following years of pressure by Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-New City, and later County Executive Ed Day.

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