Protecting kids has always been at the top of my agenda as a prosecutor, and it has been a focal point for my legal career, including and especially during my tenure as Westchester County Court judge, where I presided over the Sex Offense part.

During the first six months of my administration, we have made a point to target criminal conduct affecting the welfare of Westchester’s children. In May, my office arrested Dwayne Murray, a prominent youth basketball coach in Mount Vernon. He is accused of engaging in two or more acts of sexual conduct against a child less than 13 years old.

Earlier this month, we indicted Hugo Perez-Gabriel on multiple felony charges in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of a New Rochelle boy.

It is disturbing that these cases continue to cross my desk, even after all these years of prosecuting, and then presiding over, crimes involving child victims. But we are committed to redoubling our efforts to protect children from whatever threats they may face, whether these threats originate at school, at home or elsewhere.

Separately, my office partnered with Rye PD to apprehend an NYPD officer for allegedly stealing over $87,000 from Wells Fargo customer accounts. The thefts are alleged to have begun before the defendant joined the police force, when he was an operations coordinator at a Wells Fargo branch in Rye Brook. But the defendant, Yeison Rodriguez Acosta, is accused of continuing to steal even after joining the police academy and being assigned to the NYPD’s 48th Precinct.

Though these incidents generated a flurry of news coverage, they are only a small sampling of the great work our office does every day to keep the people of Westchester safe and to hold wrongdoers accountable.

We will be sharing more with you about these efforts in the coming weeks. As always, never hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.

In friendship,