Former Peekskill Police Officer Gets Prison Sentence For Sex Abuse

PEEKSKILL, NY — A former Peekskill police officer who sexually abused a woman he threatened with arrest was sentenced to state prison Thursday.

Michael Agovino, 35, of Palisades, will be going to prison for seven years, with 15 years of post-release supervision.

In a news conference announcing the sentence, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said her office had recommended a 15-year sentence, but Agovino received a lesser sentence in exchange for guilty pleas.

In March, he pleaded guilty to the following:

• Three counts of second-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony
• Two counts of second-degree burglary
• Two counts of first-degree sexual abuse
• Second-degree attempted burglary as a sexually motivated felony
• Second-degree attempted burglary
• First-degree stalking as a sexually motivated felony
• First-degree falsifying business records

Agovino also pleaded guilty to four counts of official misconduct, three counts of third-degree coercion and two counts of forcible touching, all misdemeanors.

"We believe a longer sentence was warranted in this case given the egregious abuse of power and repeated sexual abuse," Rocah said, "but we are pleased he will be serving a lengthy prison sentence."

Agovino will also have to register as a sex offender when he gets out of prison.

Prosecutors said, on two occasions in July 2019, Agovino, who was on duty as a police officer, unlawfully entered the victim's Peekskill home under the pretext that he was conducting an investigation in which she was a suspect.

During the first visit, he demanded she remove all her clothing because he wanted to conduct a body search. He then sexually abused her.

On the second visit, Agovino returned to the woman's home, threatened her with arrest unless she took off her clothes or performed a sex act on him and again sexually abused her.

Over the next five months, prosecutors said Agovino, while on duty, broke into the woman's home on three separate occasions for his own sexual gratification at the expense of the victim, and in one instance, sexually abused her.

Unbeknownst to him, during the last time in January 2020, the woman recorded their interaction and gave that to the district attorney's office.

Agovino was arrested Feb. 15, 2020, by investigators from the DA's office, following an investigation in collaboration with the City of Peekskill Police Department.

He resigned from the police department in 2021.

Rocah thanked the victim in the case for her courage in helping bring Agovino to justice.

The woman is an "extremely brave victim, a mother who fought to hold her abuser accountable," she said.

Rocah said that she hoped other potential victims would understand from this case that no one is above the law.