Former Mt. Vernon Water Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Bribe from Employee

The former Mount Vernon water commissioner pled guilty to bribery Tuesday.

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Anthony Bove, the former Commissioner of the Board of Water Supply, solicited a $10,000 bribe from an employee of the water department and then lied to federal law enforcement officers during the investigation.

In spring of 2015, Bove, 28, of North Salem, asked an employee for $10,000 in exchange for approving the employee’s promotion within the department, which annually receives more than $10,000 in federal funds.

He did not approve the promotion, but instead asked the employee to meet him in Memorial Park April 14, 2015.

Bove told the employee he could give him $5,000 up front and pay the rest later, even offering to allow the employment to pay the balance in installments.

The employee never made any payments and the promotion was never approved.

In December 2015, Bove was interviewed by a federal criminal investigator in connection with the extortion attempt and Bove said he never asked for money in exchange for a job promotion for anyone in his department.

Bove pled guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement officers. The bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; the false statement charge, five years.

Bove is scheduled to be sentenced June 29, 2016.