Building Inspector Lied For Day Care Operator In Spring Valley

SPRING VALLEY, NY — A Rockland County Justice has found the former chief building inspector for Spring Valley guilty of falsifying official documents and lying to give cover to a man running two day care centers illegally out of his single-family home who wanted a tax exemption.

Walter Booker, 57, was found guilty of:

• Issuing a False Certificate (Class “E” Felony)
• Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree (Class “A” Misdemeanor)
• Official Misconduct (Class “A” Misdemeanor)

“There's little doubt that the defendant's deliberate actions jeopardized public safety," Rockland County Acting District Attorney Kevin Gilleece said in an announcement Tuesday. "By making false statements, he violated his oath as a village official and violated the trust of the community. Public officials, whether elected, appointed or employed, have a duty to maintain honest and faithful service to the people they represent.”

While Booker, a Spring Valley resident, was the Chief Building Inspector for the Village of Spring Valley, he back-dated a certificate of occupancy which contained a false statement and did so with an intent to defraud other governmental agencies.

Specifically, he issued a certificate of occupancy which falsely stated that 9 Zeissner Lane in Spring Valley was a two-family dwelling on Sept. 23, 2011 — when in fact on that date it was a single-family dwelling.

Booker issued the certificate on May 22, 2012 but back-dated it by almost eight months.

This was significant because the homeowner, Jacob Goldman, was required by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to have a two-family designation in order to operate two lucrative daycare centers out of his home.

Booker knew that in May of 2012 inspectors for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services had expressed a concern that 9 Zeissner Lane was in fact a single-family dwelling.

Booker was also convicted of Official Misconduct as a result of a letter he wrote on May 20, 2014, falsely stating that Jacob Goldman could lawfully operate a home-based occupation out of his home. That was, in fact, contrary to the Spring Valley Village code.

Goldman submitted Booker's letter to the Ramapo Tax Assessor in an attempt to obtain a tax exemption.

Booker is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2019. He faces up to four years in state prison.

PHOTO/ Rockland DA's Office

Get real time New City Patch news alerts and our free daily newsletter, and visit us on Facebook.