NEW CITY – Spring Valley
Village Building Inspector Walter Booker has been arrested on a number
of felony charges including falsifying a certificate of occupancy for
a village homeowner.
According to the charges, Booker is accused of issuing false certificates
of occupancy for a home at 9 Zeissner Lane in Spring Valley. District
Attorney Thomas Zugibe said as a result, Booker aided the owner of the
property in unlawfully obtaining tax exemptions to which the homeowner
was not entitled.
Booker was formally charged with grand larceny, falsifying business records,
four counts of issuing a false certificate, three counts of offering a
false instrument for filing and official misconduct.
He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.
“The defendant held an important, potentially life-saving position,
but chose to allegedly circumvent the system and violate the public’s
trust,” said Zugibe. “His arrest shows that our prosecutors
and law enforcement have zero tolerance for criminal conduct that undermines
the county’s mandate to protect its citizens.”
