LI Village Trustee Pleads Guilty To Myriad Corruption Charges

A former Hempstead Village trustee pleaded guilty today to corruption charges stemming from six separate indictments against him, including extorting business owners, submitting false pay stubs in order to get a mortgage and ticket fixing.

Perry Pettus, 63, pleaded guilty to second-degree bribe receiving, five counts of second-degree grand larceny, third-degree bribe receiving, second-degree attempted grand larceny, two counts of first-degree tampering with public records, first-degree falsifying business records, fourth-degree conspiracy, official misconduct, fourth-degree tampering with a witness and two counts of fifth-degree conspiracy.

Pettus is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, and will receive 2 to 6 years in prison as part of his plea deal.

“Perry Pettus betrayed the trust placed in him as a public official, shook down business owners for bribes and abused his authority over the police department to help friends and punish those who didn’t pay,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “His admissions today underscore the need for the Village of Hempstead to take corrective action to ensure that these abuses in government and the police department cannot happen again, because the public deserves a government that works for the people, not the powerful.”

From June 2017 to September 2018, Pettus used his position as deputy mayor and trustee of the Village of Hempstead to solicit more than $100,000 in bribes from local restaurant owners. He threatened to have summonses issued to them that would jeopardize their business if they didn't pay. According to Singas, Pettus and his partner, William Mendez, who owns a restaurant and bar in Hempstead, targeted Hispanic-owned businesses as part of their scheme. He also targeted businesses between February and May of 2018 with the same threats, and solicited more than $50,000 in bribes.

In November 2016, Singas said that Pettus tried to get a mortgage through TD Bank and lied on his application in regard to his annual salary, and submitted forged pay stubs as proof of his income.

Between April 13 and 16, 2018, Pettus used his position in the village to allegedly ask Joseph Savino, a sergeant in the Hempstead Police Department, to fix tickets as a favor to Mendez. Singas said that Savino disposed of the two tickets, as well as a traffic summons and complaint issued to one of Mendez's employees.

Later that same year, between May 16 and June 5, 2018, Singas said that Pettus used his position in the village to fix tickets for an employee of Mendez. Pettus allegedly called then-Lieutenant Paul Johnson of the Hempstead Police Department to take care of the tickets. Singas said that Johnson told Pettus the tickets would be fixed, and then Pettus called Mendez and said, "They're done. You don't have to worry."

Pettus also received a cash bribed, wrapped in a newspaper, from Hempstead Police Lieutenant Richard Holland in exchange for a promotion. Holland was promoted to deputy chief of the department on June 5, 2018.

The cases against Mendez, Johnson, Holland and Savino are still pending.