DA: Building inspector charged with fraud

The chief building inspector in Spring Valley has been charged with fraud and faking records while on the job. The Rockland County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Walter Booker was arrested

News 12 Staff

Jan 22, 2016, 4:00 AM

Updated 3,248 days ago

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The chief building inspector in Spring Valley has been charged with fraud and faking records while on the job.
The Rockland County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Walter Booker was arrested and arraigned Thursday morning for grand larceny, issuing false certificates and more.
Booker is accused of giving a homeowner on Zeissner Lane false certificates of occupancy to help him get a tax break.
According to the criminal complaint, Booker issued false certificates of occupancy for the building - stating that it was a single-family house when it was really a two-family home - in order to get tax exemption status.
The owner of the house, Jacob Goldman, was also arrested and charged with grand larceny for the $33,000 in taxes that investigators say he didn't pay to the Town of Ramapo.
Goldman has a nursery school and synagogue in the building, which allowed the tax exemptions made possible by the certificates of occupancy.
Booker and Goldman are currently free without bail and are due back in Ramapo Town Court on Feb. 18.