CITY
Griffin scheduled to be sentenced on June 11
Glenn Griffin should find out next month how many years he will spend in federal prison. Judge Vincent Briccetti will sentence Griffin in U.S. Federal District Court in White Plains on June 11 at 2 p.m. Griffin had been scheduled for sentencing on April 22.
Griffin was arrested on July 21, 2022, on an indictment charging him and co-defendant Robert Dyckman, and others, with unauthorized dumping. Griffin is the owner of Griffin’s Landscaping, Hilltop Nursery, and numerous properties in Peekskill.
Griffin’s guilty plea submitted in August 2024, stating that he bribed Cortlandt Town employee Dyckman to illegally dump material at the town’s Arlo Lane facility, could get him a sentence of three to six years.
Since that plea, the prominent Peekskill businessman’s attorneys have twice tried and failed to withdraw the guilty plea. At a Dec. 5, 2024 all-day hearing in White Plains in front of Judge Briccetti, Griffin took the stand and explained his actions on the day of the guilty plea, telling the judge “Your Honor, I was confused. I did say it [plead guilty] but I really didn’t understand what was going on. I was mad. I was confused. I wasn’t thinking straight.” In March of this year, Judge Briccetti denied that attempt to withdraw the plea and another in a subsequent filing.
Another appeal to try and withdraw the guilty plea could delay the start of their time in federal prison.
– Jim Roberts
Judge Loehr admonished by state Judicial Commission
Westchester County Court Judge Melissa Loehr was sanctioned by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct for failing to maintain high standards of conduct, failing to avoid impropriety, and the appearance of impropriety and allowing a family relationship to influence her judicial conduct.
In a determination published in late March 2025, the commission ruled that while serving as a Peekskill City Court Judge, Loehr dismissed a traffic ticket issued to the daughter of her then Peekskill City Court co-Judge Reginald Johnson in March 2018 without disclosing that Loehr’s daughter was friends with Johnson’s daughter. (In July 2024, the Commission on Judicial Conduct brought charges of ticket-fixing and verbal abuse against Johnson that ultimately led to his resignation last September).
The commission also determined that Loehr improperly informed a Cortlandt Town Court clerk that she was a Peekskill City Court judge while discussing a traffic case against Loehr’s daughter.
In their ruling the Commission states that Loehr “… has acknowledged that her conduct was improper and warrants public discipline.” Loehr, a Democrat, served as a Peekskill City Court judge from 2017 to 2019. She was elected to a ten-year term as a Westchester County Court Judge in 2019.
A press representative from the state Office of Court Administration did not return an email asking for comment from Judge Loehr.
– Jim Roberts
Councilman Robert Scott’s case adjourned to June 12
Peekskill Common Council member Robert Scott has had his case adjourned yet again after a May 13 appearance at White Plains City Court.
On April 30, 2024, Scott was arraigned and charged with forging signatures on his election petitions.
Scott’s attorney, Mayo Bartlett, stepped out of the courtroom with a prosecutor from the DA’s office and they spoke with Hon. John Collins Jr. for about ten minutes, before returning and announcing the adjournment date of June 12.
The Herald previously reported that Scott was offered a plea deal by the Westchester County District Attorney’s office that would reduce felony charges filed against him to a misdemeanor and allow him to continue to serve on the council until his term expires at the end of the year.
Scott was issued a desk appearance ticket in April 2024 and charged with filing designating petitions containing forged signatures, a Class E felony, for a seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators in the June 2023 Democratic primary election. He faced a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
The DA alleged that Scott’s petitions contained forged signatures of eight individuals who told DA Office investigators they never signed a petition for the defendant.
In a published report in 2023, Scott denied forging signatures on his petitions and said that he was stunned to learn that his petition included the names of people who had not signed, including three dead people.
– Eric Harvey
Sgt. Khalia Carter honored by state for Black Women’s History Month
Peekskill Police Sgt. Khalia Carter was one of three prominent women from the 40th Senate District honored by state Sen. Pete Harckham on May 3 in commemoration of Black Women’s History Month.
Honorees Carter, singer-songwriter KJ Denhert, and New York Supreme Court Justice Keri Fiore were recognized at a special ceremony held at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library and presented with Senate proclamations.
“Today, we honor three remarkable women—from law enforcement, judiciary and the arts—who have enriched our communities in countless ways, and in doing so they exemplify a model of confident professionalism, sterling achievement and a ready willingness to make a difference in the lives of others,” Harckham said in a press release.
Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Monroe University and a master’s in Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is also a graduate of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Women in Leadership Institute.
She began her law enforcement career in 2009 as a Special Police Officer with the New York State Office of Mental Health. She later joined the City of Peekskill Police Department in 2012 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2019. She has served as a Field Training Officer, General Topics Instructor, Bicycle Patrol Officer, and coordinator of the Auxiliary Police Officer Division.
As the current Commanding Officer of the Community Policing Unit, Harckham said Carter works hard to develop the trust between the Peekskill Police Department and residents, “by fostering strong personal ties and implementing programs to provide resources that meet the diverse needs of the community.”
She also serves as the department’s Grants Administrator, ensuring integration of grant-funded initiatives into the department’s general operations, supporting the K9 Unit, Police Protective Equipment Program, Domestic Violence Initiative, NYS STOP DWI Detail, NYS Vehicle and Traffic Detail, and the Child Passenger Safety Program.
“I can’t thank Senator Harckham and his office enough for the support he has given the Peekskill Police Department over the years,” Carter said in a release. “With this support, we have been able to complete a number of important projects and meet our goals. I appreciate this recognition, but I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate the other members of the Peekskill Police Department who stand beside me every day and do a lot of good work in our community.”
Youth Bureau to host free line dancing event on May 16
The Peekskill Youth Bureau is inviting participants to free line dancing with Steve “Fun Brunch” Dillard on Friday, May 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The “Boots on The Ground” family edition line dancing event will teach individuals new line dances. All are invited and encouraged to bring their boots, hats, and fans. Refreshments will be served.
The event is at the Peekskill Youth Bureau 828 Main Street, Peekskill. For more information, contact Tuesday Paige McDonald at (914) 734-4149.
TOWN OF CORTLANDT
Hen Hud Superintendent Tromblee out on medical leave
Hendrick Hudson School Superintendent Michael Tromblee is on a medical leave of absence; his return date is yet to be determined. Dr. Margaret Ruller, Assistant Superintendent, is serving as the Acting Superintendent.
Tromblee became Superintendent in October 2023, coming to the district after serving as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development in the Mahopac Central School District for seven years.
In other district news, Ms. Lauren Habib Scollins was appointed as Hendrick Hudson’s new Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. She will replace Dr. Ruller who is scheduled to retire at the end of June. She served two years as Hendrick Hudson High School’s principal and one year in the same role at Blue Mountain Middle School.
– Jim Roberts
COUNTY
Board condemns Con Edison’s absence amid outrage over big rate hikes
The Westchester County Board of Legislators condemned Con Edison’s proposed double-digit increases for gas and delivery rates during a “charged” bipartisan Committee of the Whole meeting on May 6.
“Despite being formally invited, Con Edison declined to send even a single representative to hear legislators voicing the concerns of distressed constituents,” the board said in a release. “An empty chair sat symbolically in the room, underscoring the utility company’s absence.”
The board announced it will hold a series of community listening sessions in local municipalities around the county to give the public an opportunity to express their views on Con Edison’s proposed rate hikes, which if approved, would spike energy bills for residential customers by an average of 11.4 percent for electricity and 13.3 percent for gas by 2026, the county said.
The first listening session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Cortlandt Town Hall.
The board began formal action against Con Edison in March by becoming a party to the major rate case in New York State alongside Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins.
“This proactive move highlights the County’s unified commitment to protecting working-class families, seniors and business owners and safeguarding the availability of affordable electricity and gas for all Westchester residents,” the county said in a release.
