MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce A. Smith announced the indictment of the former Commissioner of Public Safety for the Town of Hempstead on charges he instructed a subordinate to void a ticket of a Town of Hempstead colleague in 2018.
Thomas DeMaria, 67, of Floral Park, was indicted by a grand jury on November 16, 2021 on three counts, including tampering with public records in the second degree (an A misdemeanor); obstructing governmental administration in the second degree (an A misdemeanor); and official misconduct (an A misdemeanor). DeMaria faces a maximum of 364 days incarceration if convicted of any of the counts. He is due back in court on January 10, 2022.
“This defendant abused his authority as a chief public official in Hempstead when he allegedly instructed his employee to make a colleague’s daughter’s parking ticket disappear,” said Acting DA Smith. “Public corruption takes many forms – large and small – and NCDA is committed to rooting out this conduct no matter the scale and holding government officials accountable when their actions rise to the level of criminality.”
According to the indictment, on July 20, 2018, a woman – whose father worked for the Town of Hempstead – illegally parked her car in a handicapped parking space without the proper permit at Harold Walker Memorial Park on Woodfield Road in Lakeview. A Town of Hempstead Public Safety Officer observed the parking infraction and issued the vehicle a ticket.
When the Town of Hempstead employee discovered his daughter received a ticket, he allegedly asked DeMaria to void the ticket, according to the charges.
On July 23, 2018, DeMaria allegedly instructed another employee to void the ticket. The employee logged into the Town of Hempstead computer system and voided the ticket, ensuring that it would not be processed by Nassau County Traffic Court.
DeMaria was arrested by NCDA Detective Investigators on December 7, 2021.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Davidman of the Public Corruption Bureau is prosecuting the case. DeMaria is represented by Marc Gann, Esq.