County Worker Charged With Illegally Dismissing Relatives’ Traffic Tickets

Petty used position at traffic agency to help family members avoid penalties

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a former employee of the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency has been arrested and charged with 20 felony counts for illegally fixing 10 tickets for her daughter and one other relative.

Angela Petty, 41, of Freeport, was arrested this morning by DA Investigators and charged with 10 counts of Tampering with Public Records in the Second Degree, 10 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, and 10 misdemeanor counts of Official Misconduct.  She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Rice said that between August 2007 and July 2008, Petty helped her daughter and one other relative avoid paying 10 traffic and parking tickets by altering records in the agency’s computer system to reflect that the tickets had been dismissed. Petty went as far as to falsely state that specific judges had formally dismissed the tickets on specific dates, when in fact she made sure that the tickets never made it before those judges.

Petty was employed by the agency as a clerk since 2005 with an annual salary of $38,952 when she was terminated on August 11. As part of Petty’s duties, she entered dispositions into the Agency’s secured computer system after the motorists appeared in court. A criminal investigation into other members of the agency is ongoing.

“Ms. Petty violated the public trust and abused her position to benefit her family members,” Rice said. “My office takes these crimes very seriously and we will continue to arrest those who help themselves to the detriment of Nassau County taxpayers. The fact that there exists a line for those with connections and a separate line for those playing by the rules is intolerable and, in my book, it's criminal.”

Rice thanked the County Executive's office and the County’s Attorney’s office for their assistance and cooperation in the ongoing investigation.

Handling the case for the DA’s Office is ADA Andrew Garbarino, Bureau Chief Marshall Trager and Deputy Chief Karen Bennett of the Public Corruption Bureau.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.