Former Mount Vernon schools purchasing agent charged with bribery

Here's a real smart one - No offense to the branch guys, but this idiot would have lost his job anyway going with RBS......Everyone would have hated the service after the sale.

Atleast he got $3,500.00 out of it....He should have gone for more in my opionion!!!!!

Maybe this will catch peoples eyes to see how crooked business is with government deals...

Thanks Art for keeping this up...Where is Mount Vernon out of curiosity?

In New York State.

Former school district head of purchasing indicted on bribe receiving, official misconduct


Rose

WHITE PLAINS – The former head of purchasing for the Mount Vernon City School District was indicted Tuesday by a Westchester County grand jury on charges of bribe receiving, official misconduct, receiving unlawful gratuities and petit larceny.

It is alleged that between June 21 and July 13, 2005, Arthur Rose, 49, of Mount Vernon took a bribe of $3,500 from a sales rep of Ricoh Americas Corp. for his assurance that Ricoh would received a five year contract from the school district for 73 digital copiers, support products and related services.

On August 3, 2005, based on Rose’s recommendation, the district awarded the contract to Ricoh.

It is also alleged that between June 1 and September 1, 2006, Rose solicited and accepted a bribe in the form of a $10,000 donation to his church, Upon This rock Ministries, from the owner of Tri-State Supply Co., a custodial supply business, in exchange for future business which was later awarded.

In a third incident, between March 1 and September 1, 2006, Rose

Mount Vernon SD official convicted of bribe receiving, official misconduct

WHITE PLAINS – The former head of purchasing for the Mount Vernon City School District was convicted Friday of bribe receiving, official misconduct and receiving unlawful gratuities.

Arthur Rose, 49, of Mount Vernon, was convicted in Westchester County Court on two counts of bribe receiving as felonies, three counts of official misconduct as misdemeanors and one count of receiving unlawful gratuities as a misdemeanor.

Between mid-June and mid-July 2005, rose, the former head of purchasing at the school district, accepted a bribe of $3,500 from a sales representative of Ricoh Americans Corporation for his assurance that the company would receive a five year contract from the district for 73 digital copiers, support products and related services.

On August 3, 2005, based on Rose’s recommendation, the school district gave Ricoh the contract which exceeded $1 million.

Between June and September 2006, Rose solicited and received a bribe in the form of a $10,000 donation to his church from the owner of Tri-State Supply Company, a custodial supply company, in exchange for future business, which was later awarded.

When sentenced, Rose faces up to seven years in state prison.

How about the rep and how about Ricoh Business Solutions!!!!!! They should also have the opportunity to GO TO JAIL!!!!!!!

WHITE PLAINS - The former head of purchasing for Mount Vernon schools will serve time in state prison for shaking down companies in exchange for district contracts, a judge ruled today.

Westchester County Judge James W. Hubert sentenced Arthur Rose to serve 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison for taking bribes as a school district purchasing agent.


Hubert spoke about "the two Arthur Roses" - one a minister for his community and the other a criminal. The judge said he was sentencing the latter.

Rose was convicted of accepting a $3,500 bribe in 2005 to set up a $1.1 million no-bid contract with Ricoh Americas Corp. for 73 digital copiers, products and services.

He was also convicted of taking a $10,000 bribe in 2006 from Tri-State Supply Co., which sells custodial products, after promising its owner he would steer him business with the district, which he did.

The bribes were considered "donations" to Rose's spiritual group, Upon This Rock Ministries.

A jury did not accept the argument from Rose's trial lawyer that he was tricked and manipulated by big-business representatives. The panel convicted Rose of two felony counts of third-degree bribe receiving, three misdemeanor countss of official misconduct and one misdemeanor count of receiving unlawful gratuities.

Rose is appealing the conviction, according to the county District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Janet DiFiore said Rose used his position to help himself to taxpayer money rather than to help the schools.

"While a state prison sentence should serve to hold Mr. Rose accountable for his direct actions, his contribution to the continuing erosion of the public's confidence in government, in addition to the actual monetary loss, will take far longer to reconcile," she said.

Rose was arrested in 2007 following a state audit that examined the district's purchasing from July 2003 through November 2006. The district suspended Rose from his administrative post in 2006.

Prosecutors at trial said Rose sent invoices to the companies for ministry-sponsored events that were never held, including a $1,000-a-plate "gala."

Hubert sentenced Rose as a second felony offender based on a 2004 grand larceny conviction in Manhattan.

His conviction here violated his probation in the 2004 case. He will be sentenced for a probation violation on March 24.