WHITE PLAINS – Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah has released a previously issued investigative report into allegations that Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD) Chief Richton Ziadie illegally received overtime compensation in 2019. Ziadie had been suspended in 2019 but reinstated earlier this month by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.
The report, according to Rocah, concluded that the MVPD chief would not face criminal prosecution but said, “Our decision that criminal charges cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt on these facts should not be interpreted to mean that the Westchester County District Attorney’s office condones this conduct. Instead, we believe the review of this incident has identified issues that can and should be addressed internally by the Mount Vernon Police Department and are referring the matter back to your agency for such review.”
The report was prepared during the administration of the previous DA and was submitted to MVPD Commissioner Glenn Scott in December 2020. DA Rocah released the report now following a statement issued by the city of Mount Vernon earlier this month that maintained the report “exonerated” Ziadie and referenced his “vindication.”
The report noted that although “the stated position of the MVPD that an individual in Ziadie’s position, serving as the chief of the department, is not entitled to overtime compensation, this policy is not explicitly stated in writing.”
The report also stated that the DA’s office believes “the MVPD is in the best position to address these vulnerabilities and we note that it may be prudent for the MVPD to codify this policy in writing to ensure that parties in certain positions are put on notice that their position, and associated stipend, precludes them from submitting for overtime compensation.”
The DA’s office report can be viewed here.
