State police: Former village of Brewster police officer arrested
Published: 11:27 p.m., Friday, October 1, 2010

BREWSTER, N.Y. -- The code enforcement officer for the village of Brewster, N.Y., has been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny in connection with an investigation into reports that he offered to provide undocumented immigrants with a legitimate New York state driver's license in return for a substantial fee, according to the New York State Police in Brewster.

Police said Thursday that Robert Anthony Serino, 49, of Poughkeepsie, was charged with six counts of fourth-degree grand larceny.

The investigation began when numerous undocumented immigrants residing in and around Brewster reported that Serino, who was known to them as a village of Brewster police officer, offered them driver's licenses for a fee, police said. Serino was last employed as a village of Brewster police officer in 2008.

Aside from serving as the current code enforcement officer in Brewster, Serino is the assistant building inspector for the town of Dover in Dutchess County, N.Y.

Serino is set to be arraigned by Judge Richard O'Rourke of the village of Brewster, police said. The New York State Police were assisted in the investigation by the Putnam County District Attorney's Office.

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