Ethics Case Involving Peekskill Councilman Fernandez Dismissed
Peekskill’s Board of Ethics has dismissed a case against Councilman Ramon Fernandez for alleged violations involving a ticket-fixing request for a friend that resulted in the resignation last year of City Court Judge Reginald Johnson.
A Dec. 23 letter from the five-member Board of Ethics, stemming from a Dec. 4 board review of the matter, concluded that it was unable to investigate the matter since the six-year Code of Ethics limitations had lapsed.
“Thus, the Ethics Board is without the authority to conduct an investigation into the alleged violation,” the board stated in its correspondence. “Accordingly, the matter is hereby dismissed.”
Johnson, the first Black judge in Peekskill’s history, turned in his gavel on Sept. 30, 2024, following a probe from the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
It is alleged Johnson dismissed 11 traffic tickets between March 2018 and November 2022 based on personal relationships with the defendants or persons close to the defendants and not on the merits.
According to the stipulation between Johnson and the commission, on Mar. 9, 2018, Mateo Piragua was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license and using a cell phone. On June 15, 2018, Piragua was charged again with driving without a license and failing to stop at a stop sign.
Piragua is a family friend of Fernandez, having been involved together in local soccer activities.
The commission stated Fernandez met with Johnson about the tickets in June or July 2018, “expressing his view that the tickets were unjust, and that Mr. Piragua was a good person.” He also allegedly understood from Johnson’s response that the tickets would be dismissed.
On July 27, 2018, Johnson dismissed the tickets without notice or consent from either Peekskill City Prosecutor Ingrid O’Sullivan or the Peekskill Police Department.
Based on that “sworn testimony,” a press release was issued Sept. 24 from Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie’s office stating, “Regarding the unfortunate matter in the Peekskill City Court involving Councilman Fernandez, the Common Council reviewed the sworn testimony. Upon review of the testimony, the majority believes it is in the best interest of the City of Peekskill that he resigns from his position.”
“The Common Council and I take this matter very seriously and will continue to work for our constituents with integrity,” the release concluded.
On Sept. 25, the city’s former corporation counsel, on behalf of the council, requested the Board of Ethics conduct a “full and complete” investigation into Fernandez’s alleged favor request, citing a city code that states, “(n)o City official or employee shall use or attempt to use his or her official position to give or secure privileges or exemptions for himself/herself or others not available to others.”
Fernandez, who has been on the council since 2018 and is considering running for mayor this year, reacted to the determination by starting with, “As I always said: Lord, you are my lawyer! Who pleaded my case! Lord you are my judge! Who proves me right!”
“Thank you to my family, friends, district leaders, community leaders, the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester and the many residents of our City of Peekskill, who with their prayers, with their support and words like: ‘Resist, Don’t Give Up, Keep Fighting, Don’t Stop Fighting for the Most Vulnerable.’ Thanks to this you all have helped me resist and have the strength to move forward,” stated Fernandez in an e-mail.
Fernandez resisted calls from some of his fellow councilmembers to resign last year, labeling the attempt “dirty politics.”
“This year, 2025, will be a great year for all Peekskill residents, with challenges but with hope,” he stated. “Let’s talk about Peekskill, about improving services, quality of life, and citizen safety. 2025 is Peekskill time.”
McKenzie could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, the criminal case against Peekskill Councilman Rob Scott, who was charged last April by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for allegedly filing petitions containing forged signatures in his failed attempt to force a Democratic primary for a seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, is scheduled to resume in White Plains City Court on Jan. 23.
Scott, who was elected to the Common Council in 2021, was arrested and charged with the felony count of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.
According to former district attorney Mimi Rocah, on Apr. 10, 2023, Scott, who was vying to challenge incumbent county Legislator Colin Smith in District 1, allegedly filed designating petitions with the Westchester County Board of Elections containing forged signatures of eight individuals. Those people later told investigators that they never signed a petition for the defendant.
The alleged forged signatures appeared on three of the 37 sheets that Scott signed as a witness.
Criminal investigators from the district attorney’s office launched an investigation after receiving complaints from individuals who attested their signatures were forged.
If convicted, Scott could face probation or a maximum of one to four years in state prison.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
