Rockland County, NY – An embattled councilman for the Town of Ramapo has resigned his position after pleading guilty to a charge of official misconduct.
Under the terms of the plea bargain agreement accepted this afternoon, 71 year old Shmuel Tress also gave up his seat on the Ramapo Town Board and agreed not to seek any future office or position in the town. The Journal News reported that Tress was fined $500 on the misdemeanor charge.
Tress, who was elected to his position on the town council last winter despite an earlier conviction on charges of federal mail fraud, was arrested last March by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
Tress is said to have voted for a zoning change on a housing development on Blauvelt Road in Monsey that he held a financial interest in, even though he had signed an affidavit saying that he would receive no profits from any decisions he made as a member of the town’s zoning board.
While Tress has held elected office only since November, he has been a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals for many years. Tress maintains residences in both Lakewood and Monsey and will be replaced by an as yet unnamed individual to be named by the town board.
