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Date Published
July 10, 2016
News Type
Press Release
Link to Original
USAO, Southern District of New York)

(USAO, NY) Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ANTHONY BOVE, the former Commissioner of the Board of Water Supply of the City of Mount Vernon (the “Water Department”), was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an employee of the Water Department, and lying to federal law enforcement officers when BOVE was interviewed during the investigation.  BOVE pled guilty in White Plains federal court on March 22, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “While entrusted to provide clean and safe water for the people of Mount Vernon, Anthony Bove looked out only for himself, demanding a bribe from one of his own employees for a promotion to which the employee was already entitled.  For this shameful corruption, Bove has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.”

According to the Information, statements made in open court, and other documents in the public record:

BOVE was the Commissioner of the Water Department.  The City of Mount Vernon (the “City”) annually receives in excess of $10,000 in federal funds from the United States government.  The Water Department is responsible for serving City residents by, among other things, monitoring and treating the City’s water supply, repairing water main leaks, and reading water meters and generating water bills.  In accordance with the City Charter, the Commissioner of the Water Department is appointed by the City’s Mayor, serves at the Mayor’s pleasure, and reports directly to the Mayor as the head of one of the City’s departments.

In the spring of 2015, while serving as the Water Commissioner, BOVE solicited a $10,000 bribe from a Water Department employee (“the Employee”) in exchange for approving the Employee’s promotion within the Water Department.  The Employee, who was serving in a provisional capacity as the bookkeeper of the Water Department, had passed a civil service bookkeeping examination in order to become eligible for a permanent bookkeeping position at the Water...