Joseph Apostoli
Glen Griffin
Bruno
By Dan Murphy
We present to our readers three criminal cases in Westchester County, all prosecuted by District Attorney Susan Cacace. The most disturbing, in our view, concerned Greenburgh Firefighter Joseph Apostoli, who was convicted on two counts of Third-Degree Assault stemming from a domestic violence incident in April of 2024.
Apostoli, 46, is a firefighter with the Fairview Fire Department, in Greenburgh, chose a non-jury trial before State Supreme Court Justice James McCarty.
Justice McCarty acquitted Apostoli of the more serious charges, Second-Degree Assault, a felony, and Second-Degree Unlawful Imprisonment and Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, both misdemeanors.
So Apostoli will likely not face jail time when sentenced in September. He could have faced jail time if convicted of the felony and also the loss of his job.
The facts surrounding this case are disturbinb.
On April 11, 2024, during a domestic dispute inside the Dobbs Ferry apartment, Apostoli slammed the victim to the floor of their bedroom. He then carried her to the living room and threw her to the floor, again, and struck her about her head.
The victim — who is 4’10” weighing barely 100 pounds against the defendant’s 6’2”, nearly 300-pound frame — sustained serious injuries following this attack, including a rib fracture, partially collapsed lung and bruising to the body and face.
DA Cacace said: “The victim in this case suffered immensely at the hands of Mr. Apostoli, and I am proud of her for summoning the bravery to share her story with police, prosecutors, and the trial court, notwithstanding the court’s apparent disregard for portions of her testimony.
“My administration remains committed to prosecuting all manner of domestic violence cases. We stand with survivors.”
More details on the case and the trial from media reports have Apostoli and the victim coming back to their apartment late after celebrating his birthday. The victim checked his cell phone and found sexting between Apostoli and another woman.
The woman then threw his phone and other things in the apartment, after which Apostoli awoke and assaulted his then girlfriend. She testified that he trapped her on the floor and beat her.
She did not report the incident for six weeks and the relationship fell apart. Defense attorney Andrew Quinn argued that Apostoli was only trying to prevent his girlfriend from doing further damage to the apartment and that if was interested in harming her, the injuries would have been more severe.
Prosecutors said that Apostoli was the one with rage as his intent because his girlfriend looked at his phone. Incriminating texts from both sides were also shared at trial, that the girlfriend knew Apostoli didn’t mean to hurt her and Apostoli asking his former girlfriend to lie about what happened.
ADA Michelle Lopez said, “this case was never about a woman scorned…it was about domestic violence.”
District Attorney Cacace was in the courtroom for summations, and after Judge McCarty’s decision issued a statement calling on the NY State legislature to change the law and close the “voluntary intoxication” loophole.
DA Cacace called for changes to the current NYS law on sex abuse. “Under current law, survivors of sexual abuse are penalized for being assaulted if they consume alcohol or other intoxicants before their assault. This status quo relies on outdated notions of consent and victimhood that have rightfully been relegated to the dustbin of history.
“New York is sometimes slow to modernize its laws in the face of obvious injustice. But on certain subjects, such as bail and discovery reform, New York lawmakers worked quickly to address a perceived need. Survivors of sexual abuse are no less deserving of justice than these other constituencies. We should consider their needs, too.
“Other states, including Michigan and Minnesota, have recognized the need to eliminate this archaic penalty on survivors in recent years. New York should lead this growing coalition rather than stand in its way.
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge Speaker Heastie to bring A.101-A to the floor for a full vote before the Assembly. Survivors can’t wait another minute. Let’s not leave them behind.”
We note that Cacace’s office sought a conviction on the felony assault, which would have resulted in a jail sentence. Judge McCarty’s decision cannot be blamed on the DA.
One notable case where Cacace’s office did get jail time include:
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty in Bulldog Strangulation and Dismemberment Case
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that Benjamin Tyler, 40, of New Milford, Conn., pleaded guilty yesterday to Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, an unclassified felony, for killing and dismembering an English bulldog named Bruno.
On or about Dec. 6, 2024, Tyler strangled Bruno, a pure-bred English bulldog, to death at the New Rochelle residence of Bruno’s guardian, a longtime acquaintance of the defendant with whom he had been staying. Tyler proceeded to dismember Bruno and strewed various pieces of his carcass around New Rochelle.
He is expected to be sentenced by Westchester County Court Judge James McCarty on Sept. 8 to one year in jail.
DA Cacace said: “The defendant’s conduct in this case is sickening beyond comprehension. He will soon have time to reflect on the depravity of his actions from the Westchester County Jail. Cruelty to animals will never be tolerated under my administration.”
The investigation was conducted by the New Rochelle Police Department with the assistance of SPCA Westchester. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mary Ann Liebowitz.
A second case that resulted in jail time for two defendants came from US Attorney Jay Clayton.
Former Business Owner And Town Of Cortlandt Employee Sentenced To Prison For $2.4 Million Environmental Crime Scheme
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner and president of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, was sentenced to two years in prison for a scheme in which GRIFFIN bribed a Town of Cortlandt employee to gain unauthorized access to a Town facility to dump loads of unauthorized materials. GRIFFIN was also sentenced for a separate bid-rigging scheme. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
On May 20, 2025, ROBERT DYCKMAN, the former Assistant General Foreman for the Town of Cortlandt, was sentenced by Judge Briccetti to a year and a day in prison for his participation in the bribery and dumping scheme. As part of their sentences, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were each ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to their victims.
“Glenn Griffin and Robert Dyckman’s corruption not only damaged public land and fragile wetlands but also undermined the public’s faith in our government and institutions” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
“Griffin, a successful business owner and president, bribed Dyckman so that he could save money and, in the process, illegally dump harmful, unauthorized materials on public property generating $2.4 million in damages. Moreover, Griffin then took government money to remove and haul away the very materials that he had illegally dumped. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to rooting out such brazen and wasteful corruption.”
According to statements made in public filings and court proceedings:
Illegal Dumping Scheme
From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme. DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, tiles, bricks, large rocks, and soil. After the illegal dumping, GRIFFIN billed and received payments from the Town of Cortlandt for removing and hauling away the very materials that GRIFFIN had illegally dumped at Arlo Lane with DYCK.
DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees to access Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours. To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away from Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping. When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme.
In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN paid DYCKMAN cash bribes.
GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were ordered to pay the Town of Cortlandt and the Westchester Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which owns damaged wetlands abutting the Town of Cortlandt’s Arlo Lane property, a total of $2.4 million to remediate and restore their property following GRIFFIN’s and DYCKMAN’s criminal conduct.
Bid-Rigging Scheme
Between 2015 and 2018, Griffin also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme. GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck for work at its fire department. GRIFFIN made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects. Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000.
In addition to the prison term, GRIFFIN, 56, of Cortlandt, New York was sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit $220,000 and pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, GRIFFIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In addition to the prison term, DYCKMAN, 53, of Verplanck, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, DYCKMAN pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
