D.A.: DPW Supervisor Indicted After Lying About Faulty Sidewalk

A Mount Vernon DPW supervisor arrested in March has been indicted by a Westchester grand jury for lying about problems with a local sidewalk in his testimony as part of a lawsuit against Mount Vernon.

District Attorney Janet DiFiore said Ganga “Rudy” Persaud, 59, of 312 Lincoln Ave., Mount Vernon was arraigned today on charges of first-degree perjury, a felony, and official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

“One of the most basic government services is the maintenance and repair of public streets and sidewalks,” DiFiore said. “As the complaint alleges, this defendant, a supervisor in the Department of Public Works, put his self interest ahead of the City of Mount Vernon’s by taking money from a homeowner to repair a sidewalk and then lying about it. Actions like those severely undermine the public’s confidence in government. Public employees should not act with impunity; this defendant’s behavior is more than criminal, it is an affront to the taxpayers who expect honest services from the city’s workforce.”

The charges against Persaud developed from a civil lawsuit against Mount Vernon charging negligence on the part of the city and the owner of the home at 245 Summit Ave., Mount Vernon, where there was a trip-and-fall accident with injuries.

DiFiore said that on Nov. 9, 2010, Persaud testified falsely during an “Examination Before Trial” that he never had conversations with, or was paid by, the homeowner to repair the sidewalk in front of her house. However, Persaud had discussed with the homeowner the cost of repairing the sidewalk, had referred a contractor to the homeowner and was paid by the homeowner for the sidewalk repairs. 

DiFiore said Persaud received two separate checks from the homeowner for the repair work in for $1,650 payable to cash and $1,000 that was payable to the Persaud.

An investigation by the District Attorney’s office was opened based on a complaint brought by the City of Mount Vernon’s Corporation Counsel.

Persaud remains free on bail pending a court hearing in White Plains on May 25. If convicted, he faces a maximum of seven years in state prison.