WHITE PLAINS, NY — The former head of purchasing for Mount Vernon City School District was sentenced to upwards of seven years in prison for bribing companies in exchange for district contracts, according to The Journal News.
Arthur Rose was convicted of accepting a $3,500 bribe in 2005 to set up a $1.1 million no-bid contract with Ricoh Americas Corp. for 73 digital copiers, products and services, and for taking a $10,000 bribe in 2006 from Tri-State Supply Co. after promising its owner he would provide him business with the district, the story stated.
According to prosecutors, the alleged bribes were considered "donations" to Rose's spiritual group, Upon This Rock Ministries, and Rose sent invoices to the companies for ministry-sponsored events that were never held, including a $1,000-a-plate "gala."
Not accepting the argument from Rose's attorney that he was tricked and manipulated by representatives of big businesses, a jury convicted Rose of two felony counts of third-degree bribe receiving, three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and one misdemeanor count of receiving unlawful gratuities, the story noted.
District Attorney Janet DiFiore said: "While a state prison sentence should serve to hold Mr. Rose accountable for his direct actions, his contribution to the continuing erosion of the public's confidence in government, in addition to the actual monetary loss, will take far longer to reconcile."
Rose, who has a prior grand larceny conviction in Manhattan from 2004, is appealing the charges against him, the story added.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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