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A former New York prosecutor and retired judge reportedly took his own life Tuesday during an apparent shootout with the FBI as agents descended on his home to arrest him in a federal corruption case.
Stewart Rosenwasser had been indicted Monday in a U.S. district court in New York on charges accusing him of accepting bribery payments to initiate a criminal investigation while working for the Orange County District Attorney. When the FBI arrived Tuesday to arrest Rosenwasser at his home in rural Orange County, he reportedly died by suicide after agents may have shot at him, according to multiple reports.
The FBI released a statement to USA TODAY simply saying that the agency’s Inspection Division was “reviewing an agent-involved shooting,” as is bureau policy.
“As this is an ongoing matter, we have no further details to provide,” the statement said.
Rosenwasser dies day after federal indictment
The FBI traveled early Tuesday morning to Rosenwasser’s home in the rural town of Campbell Hall to take him into custody, according to multiple new outlets who cited law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.
Rosenwasser reportedly pointed a gun at agents, at least one of whom fired a shot, two sources familiar with the case told NBC New York. Rosenwasser then barricaded himself in his home, where he is suspected of taking his own life, sources also told CBS News New York and ABC News.
The reported gunfire exchange came one day after a federal grand jury voted to indict Rosenwasser on charges that include bribery, extortion, making false statements and wire fraud, court records show.
Rosenwasser, a retired New York judge, had reportedly resigned in June from the Orange County District Attorney’s office, where he was chief counsel and executive assistant district attorney.
“It’s truly heartbreaking that it ended this way,” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said in a statement to USA TODAY. “My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
Rosenwasser accused of taking $63,000 in bribes
Rosenwasser was accused in a federal indictment of accepting at least $63,000 in bribe payments to leverage his position in the district attorney’s office to investigate two people.
The request is alleged to have come from a millionaire former restaurant owner to whom Rosenwasser would also provide updates on the investigation, according to the federal indictment.
He is accused of receiving the bribes largely in the form of checks or money orders starting in 2022, the indictment states.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-Orange County NY judge, prosecutor kills self in FBI raid: Reports
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 06:17:00
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