NEW CITY – Rockland County
District Attorney Thomas Zugibe announced on Tuesday that a former village
attorney in Spring Valley has been charged with one count of misdemeanor
official misconduct.
Lawrence Weissman, 56, an attorney with offices in West Nyack was appointed
as special prosecutor by the Spring Valley Village Board in early 2016
to handle the prosecution of traffic tickets as well as zoning violations
for the village.
According to the charges, former Trustee Vilair Fonvil recommended Weissman
for the position. He is accused of committing official misconduct by submitting
false documentation to the village judge in order to justify giving favorable
plea dispositions at the behest of Fonvil, who attended plea negotiation
sessions, met with individuals facing traffic charges and occasionally
directed Weissman as to how to dispose of those charges.
If convicted, Weissman could face one year in jail.
The arrest was the result of an investigation by the Public Corruption
Task Force, a joint investigative unit for the Rockland County DA’s
Office and the FBI.
