Contractor Forged Letter From North Hempstead Building Department: DA

A licensed home contractor was arrested Thursday for forging a letter from the Town of North Hempstead Building Department to deceive his clients, according to Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.

Mark Rosenberg, 44, of Lindenhurst, was arraigned and charged with second-degree forgery and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

According to the DA, Rosenberg forged the letter around May 23, 2016 after he received a cease and desist order for failing to follow the town’s approved plans for his clients’ New Hyde Park home.

“[Rosenberg] failed to follow local building rules and then allegedly forged an official document to buy time with his dissatisfied clients,” Singas said in a press release. “Building codes and planning processes exist to protect the public, and forging government documents to skirt those rules is a crime.”

Rosenberg eventually followed the order and stopped construction, but the homeowners became upset and regularly called him to rectify the situation, the DA says.

On May 25, 2016, instead of informing the homeowners why the work had stopped, Rosenberg allegedly met with the homeowners and showed them a letter he claimed was from the building department. The letter, which included a Town of North Hempstead letterhead and appeared to be signed by the plain examiner, stated in part: “Your application has been denied and requires Board and Zoning and Appeals approval and that certain items do not conform to Zone Residence C District,” the DA says.

The homeowners became suspicious of the letter and spoke with the plan examiner, who said he did not issue the letter that was provided by Rosenberg. The plan examiner said the letter displayed multiple signs of being a forgery, the DA said.

The NCDA began investigating this case on August 2, 2106.

“When this wrongdoing came to light we immediately turned the information over to the District Attorney,” Judi Bosworth, North Hempstead Town Supervisor, said. “It’s critical that the public knows that all Town business is conducted with the utmost honesty and integrity.”

Rosenberg was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on Monday, June 12. He faces up to 2-⅓ to 7 years in prison if convicted.

Image via NCDA