Travis Troiano, son of North Hempstead Council Member Robert Troiano Jr. and a town employee, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he submitted false paperwork to satisfy a friend’s plea agreement, according to the Nassau County district attorney’s office.
Troiano, 33, of Westbury, and Nocianie Joseph, 33, of Westbury, were indicted and arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and official misconduct.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of up to seven years in prison.
Troiano, an employee of the town’s “Yes We Can” Community Center in Westbury, allegedly drafted and signed a fraudulent letter saying Joseph, his friend, successfully completed 35 hours of community service, according to the district attorney’s office.
Robert Troiano, a Democrat, was elected to the North Hempstead Town Board for a second stint in 2021 for a four-year term. He was first elected to the board in 2004 and served two terms until winning election to the Nassau County Legislature.
North Hempstead’s Councilmanic District 1, represented by Troaino, included Carle Place, New Cassel, Old Westbury and Westbury.
Travis is one of three children of Robert, according to the council member’s biography.
Joseph was charged with driving while intoxicated on May 17, 2022, and accepted a conditional plea agreement that included 35 hours of community service within four months, among other things, County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement.
She was sentenced to 60 days incarceration and three years probation for driving while intoxicated on Feb. 24 after failing to comply with the contract.
“Recognizing that Nocianie Joseph was a first-time DWI offender, our office offered the defendant a fair plea contract that would allow her to complete 35 hours of community service and reduce the charge against her. Instead, despite agreeing to the plea, Joseph and her friend Travis Troiano allegedly forged paperwork attempting to get Joseph credit for service she did not complete,” said Donnelly. “This indictment sends a strong message that NCDA will rigorously follow up on the satisfaction of plea conditions and take action against those who would deceitfully violate the terms of those good faith agreements.”
Troiano allegedly forged and signed the fraudulent letter on Nov. 20, 2022, before investigators for the district attorney’s office discovered Troiano does not have the authority to draft or sign community service completion letters for the “Yes We Can” center.
Joseph and Troiano surrendered themselves to investigators for the district attorney’s office on May 12 and 16, respectively.
Karen Johnston, a lawyer who is representing Troiano, declined to comment. Efforts to reach Christopher Graziano, Joseph’s lawyer, were unavailing.
The “Yes We Can” Community Center first opened in September 2012 and offers community programs including youth and adult sports, arts, fitness, science, education and enrichment.
A Town of North Hempstead spokesman declined to comment on the charges, saying in a statement “The Town does not comment on pending legal matters”
