Former Village of Haverstraw Deputy Mayor Sentenced for theft

Emily Dominguez, former Deputy Mayor and Village Trustee of Haverstraw has been sentenced for stealing more than $11,000 in funds and donations from the Rockland Community Foundation (RCF), a not-for-profit organization that
Dominguez oversaw as a board member and former president. The Rockland Community Foundation oversees and administers hundreds of charitable funds in Rockland County. One such fund is the Haverstraw Neighborhood Fund (HNF), founded by Emily Dominguez and another individual.
The fund was purportedly established to provide resources and support to the residents of Haverstraw through their fundraising efforts, including an annual backpack fundraiser,
and Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Between March and October of 2020, the defendants submitted eighteen (18) false receipts to the Rockland Community Foundation for reimbursement for expenses allegedly incurred by Emily Dominguez and another individual. The receipts from Portobello’s restaurant and catering, where Janice Dominguez was formerly employed, were entirely false, purporting to represent food provided to residents of Haverstraw, when in fact, no such food was ever supplied.

On September 20, 2022, Emily Dominguez pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and admitted her involvement in a scheme where she submitted false recipients and stole money from
the Rockland Community Foundation.
“As an elected official, one has a duty to uphold the law and serve the community with integrity. Today’s sentencing finalizes the criminal investigation, holds the elected official accountable for their actions and provides restitution to the Rockland Community Foundations.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh II. ” I commend the excellent investigative work conducted by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit and the New York State Comptroller’s Office on this multi-agency case.”

“The former deputy mayor abused the trust of Haverstraw’s citizens to steal from programs geared to help village residents in need, including those that provided backpacks of school supplies and holiday dinners. Thanks to my partnership with Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh, she is being held accountable for her crimes,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. “The Rockland Community Foundation remains focused on serving the community through the funds that we steward. We are gratified to have received the $11k restitution for the Haverstraw Neighborhood Fund and committed to working with the greater Haverstraw community to revamp this project fund in accordance with its original intent” stated Julie Sadowski, Executive Director of the Rockland Community Foundation. Emily Dominiguez was sentenced on Monday by Judge Prisco to 5 years probation along with $8,966.25 in restitution that will go directly to the Rockland Community Foundation.