Feds, DA, AG Asked to Investigate
Based on reports of illegal dumping, at the Town owned Par 3 golf course in Jefferson Valley, and on a neighboring wetland property also owned by the town, we have written the following letter to Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, US Attorney Damian Williams, and NY Attorney General Letitia James requesting that they consider an investigation.
“I am writing this letter concerning accusations made about illegal dumping in the Jefferson Valley neighborhood in the Town of Yorktown, NY. Two properties of concern are a former Par 3 golf course that was closed and inoperable for more than a decade, allowing anyone who wanted to dump to do so on this unprotected property. There is also a town owned wetland property, located next to the golf course, which has also been alleged to be a dumping property for construction debris.
The location of these properties, next to the Taconic Parkway, makes it an easy and desirable place for dumpers to unload their waste. We are hoping that someone with more knowledge comes forward to your office, or to our newspaper with information that may be helpful to determine if these claims are true, and if anyone can be brought to justice. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel J. Murphy, Editor, Yonkerstimes.com, Westchester Rising, Yonkers Rising.”
Additional questions include who had the oversight for managing the Par 3 during the years that it was closed and prior to when Cambareri and eventually RC took over the property. Who had the keys to the facility? Was there anyone in town government at the time who had connections in the construction industry?
If illegal dumping crimes were committed, it will be difficult to prosecute someone years after the offenses took place. The only way to do so would be for someone with direct knowledge of the dumping to come forward. That can be done through either of the law enforcement offices listed above, who have confidential ways to provide information.
They are:
Westchester DA: The public can also file a complaint or send in tips to the DA’s Office at (914)955-TIPS (8477);
NYS Attorney General: If you wish to report allegations of government wrongdoing, please call the New York State Public Integrity Hotline: 1-800-428-9072. Calls will be kept confidential.
US Attorney, Southern District of NY: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-sdny/legacy/2014/11/03/anonymousciviliancrimereport.pdf
If anyone has information that they wish to share with us—please email us at dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com, and we will comply with how you wish to proceed.
Finally, Westchester Rising has received a copy of the legal bills being paid by the Town of Yorktown, and in our review we found one invoice dated June 30, 2022 with the memo “Grand Jury Subpoena.” Grand juries panels are not disclosed to the public, or discussed with the media until an indictment is made.
We also cannot verify whether the subpoena had anything to do with illegal dumping, or another investigation into the Town of Yorktown, or any one of its employees, current or former. We have contacted the NYS Committee on Open Government to determine if we can FOIL a copy of the actual subpoena to determine what it was about.
