NEW CITY, NY — The Town of Ramapo Director of Building, Planning and Zoning was arrested Thursday at town hall and accused of stealing more than $100,000 in a yearlong scheme to falsify building permit applications.

The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Rockland County District Attorney's Office Special Investigations Unit, said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe in his announcement last night. Anthony Mallia, 52, of 5 Biret Drive, Airmont, New York is charged with:

One count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class "C" Felony

33 counts of Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree, class "D" Felonies

33 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, class "E" Felonies

33 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing, class "E" Felonies

One count of Official Misconduct, a class "A" Misdemeanor "This case goes to the very heart of corruption," Zugibe said in the announcement. "According to the charges, the defendant developed an elaborate scheme to steal taxpayer money rather than to ensure public safety and compliance. His breach of the people's trust comes at a time when the residents of Ramapo are demanding honesty from their leaders. Such self-serving criminal behavior severely undermines public confidence in government and will not be tolerated." This isn't the first corruption charge leveled against a Ramapo official in 2016.

The fire inspector in Ramapo was accused by state education officials of not enforcing fire codes in the town's many private schools. The town's supervisor and three top advisors are under investigation by the FBI and SEC, accused of cooking the books of the town's local development corporation. SEE:

In the Town of Ramapo building permit fees are determined by "cost of construction." Throughout 2015, the defendant allegedly approved building permit applications which greatly underestimated the actual cost of construction.

The complaint alleges that Mallia stole more than $100,000 through his scheme, which involved altering and falsely recording the cost of construction for 33 building permit applications, thereby reducing the collection of fees legally owed to the Town of Ramapo. The defendant is accused of filing the phony records with Ramapo's Building, Planning and Zoning Department. The defendant is charged with the theft of the fees, in addition to various charges related to the falsification of official town records.