SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — A Huntington man has been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument after allegedly submitting a fake building permit during a residential construction project in 2021, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Wednesday.
Robert Cortese, 37, the owner of Tool Time Construction, Inc., is accused of giving a homeowner in Great River a fraudulent Town of Islip building permit while lacking both the required permit and a valid contractor’s license in Suffolk County. Cortese surrendered to authorities and was arrested on Tuesday.
The charges stem from a pool and pool house installation project that began in May 2021. Cortese allegedly promised the homeowner that he would secure all necessary permits from the Town of Islip. After repeated requests from the client, Cortese reportedly provided a document in October 2021 claiming it was a valid town permit.
However, the Town of Islip Building Department later confirmed that no such permit had been issued and no application had been filed for the property. Further investigation revealed the permit presented was allegedly forged and that Cortese did not hold a valid home improvement contractor license in the county.
Cortese released without bail under current state law
Cortese was arraigned on Tuesday before District Court Judge Steven Weissbard on one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a Class D felony. Due to current New York State bail laws, the charge is non-bail eligible, and Cortese was released without bail.
District Attorney Tierney issued a statement following the arraignment, warning homeowners to take caution when hiring contractors. “We continually work with the Department of Consumer Affairs to warn homeowners against hiring unlicensed contractors,” Tierney said.
Cortese is scheduled to appear in court again on August 6. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 2⅓ to 7 years in state prison.
