Police Implicated in Scandal Still On The Job in Chappaqua

by Maureen Keating Tsuchiya

Everyone is still on the job in Chappaqua, without being subjected to any disciplinary actions, including Lt. John Vize and Chief Robert Breen, still on duty at the New Castle Police Department more than two months after the New York State Office of the Attorney General sued Police. John Vize and his former colleague, Dennis Mahoney, on July 27, 2006 for pension fraud. Chief Robert Breen was the Department’s chief at the time the alleged illegal acts took place.

Town Administrator Gennaro Faiella is still on the job and has not issued any public reports regarding this matter. Faiella confirmed that no public reports nor demands for any resignations have been made by the town’s supervisor or any members of the town board. He went on to say, “The Town of New Castle is represented in this matter by their labor counsel Craig Benson.”

When asked if Chief Breen or Lt. Vize have been subjected to any disciplinary actions, Faiella advised this reporter that “Disciplinary actions are considered personnel matters that the Town Board is currently reviewing.”

Faiella indicated that Dennis Mahoney is currently receiving “contractually-mandated retirement medical benefits” from the Town of New Castle. According to the lawsuit filed by Spitzer’s Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Unit, following an investigation by Comptroller Alan Hevesi’s Of- fice, which manages public employee pension funds, defendants, Dennis Mahoney, a retired police officer and, John Vize, a current New Castle Police Department lieutenant, who is currently responsible for staff services and special events, were charged with misrepresenting that the retired of- ficer worked as a police officer for a full twenty years when, in fact, he
worked only 19 years. Under section 63-c of the New York State Executive Law, the suits to recover pension benefits paid by the State to Mahoney from about August 2000, for a total of $181,629 or $2751.95 per month;
and, salary and benefits paid to Vize by the Town of New Castle during the period of his breach of duty from about August 1999 to July 2000, approximately $100,00 in salary and benefits.

Spitzer’s lawsuit also states that Lt. Vize, of Mohegan Lake, “was serving as the Department’s records officer and was responsible for, among other things, scheduling and recording police officers’ shifts, and maintaining the
Department’s payroll records for the Town. With Lt. Vize’s knowledge, cooperation and approval, other police officers worked many of the shifts that had been assigned to Mahoney.” These shifts were referred to by some of the department’s members as “Mahoney days.” Approximately 25% of the Department’s 40 officers have been reported to have participated in the scheme.

According to a spokeswoman for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, that accredited this Police Department in 2005, New Castle’s accreditation, which Lt. Vize reportedly worked at obtaining for
several years, would be reviewed if the Attorney General’s suit proves that there were pervasive violations of the Police Department’s policies under the scope of accreditation criteria.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 AM on October 4th before Judge Emmet Murphy in the matter of Steve Kaufman vs. Town of New Castle; New Castle Police Department; Gennaro Faiella; Robert Breen; James Baynes; John Vize; James Tully and Public Employee Risk Management Assn., Index No.05-10178., which was filed on June 24th, 2005, a lawsuit was filed in Supreme Court, Westchester County.

Kaufman was the only Jewish police officer employed by the Town of New Castle from 1983 until approximately 2004. Kaufman charges that he was subjected to anti-Semitic discrimination by the management of the Police Department.