Desmaret Sentenced in Spring Valley Bribery Scheme

Former Spring Valley Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret was sentenced yesterday in connection with his part in a bribery scheme that stretched from Brooklyn to Albany.

He had pleaded guilty in 2014 in White Plains federal court to participating in a scheme in which he accepted over $10,000 in cash bribes in exchange for his votes, as a member of the Spring Valley Board of Trustees, to sell Village land and steer a state-funded transportation contract to a real estate development company.

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He was sentenced to 3 years in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $10,500.

“Every politician needs to understand that they hold office to serve the public, not themselves, and that those who violate the trust placed in them by the people do so at the risk of ending their careers behind bars,“ Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara said at the time of his plea bargain. “Serving the public is a great privilege and it should be treated as such.”

The federal corruption probe that caught Desmaret also led to charges against Rockland resident Jay Savino, who handled some legal matters for the Town of Clarkstown, had a prestigious White Plains law firm and was Bronx Republican Party Chairman. Savino pleaded guilty in November 2013.

The corruption investigation also included state Sen. Malcolm Smith and New York City Council member Dan Halloran. The complaint included Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Desmaret, and Savino and Queens County Republican Party Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone.

The charges included bribery, extortion, and wire and mail fraud.

The federal charges in Spring Valley dated back to incidents in 2011, when Jasmin, a Democrat, was alleged to have participated in a fraud scheme in which she would vote in favor of the sale of Spring Valley village-owned land to a company in exchange for an ownership interest in the company and to also steer New York State funds to the company for the real estate project.

The charges contended that Desmaret, also a Democrat, received cash payments in exchange for his vote on the land sale and helping to steer state funds to the project.