Schoharie County District Attorney Jim Sacket is likely to lodge more felony counts against Cobleskill Village Board candidate Bob LaPietra this week.
Mr. Sacket said the new counts will be perjury, regarding Mr. LaPietra’s signature on his nominating petitions, which were the focus of his arrest last week.
Police charged the candidate last Monday with 13 counts of offering a false instrument and 13 of perjury for listing what police claim is an incorrect address on the petitions.
Mr. LaPietra, running for a trustee post, has maintained his innocence, however. In a letter to the editor this week, Mr. LaPietra writes that he’s innocent of the charges leveled against me. I have followed the rules and obeyed the law.”
Mr. Sacket maintained last week that he “has a very strong case” against Mr. LaPietra.
The new perjury charges, Mr. Sacket said, are for Mr. LaPietra’s signature as a witness to the signers of his petitions.
“When you sign that, you’re taking an oath,” Mr. Sacket said. “We believe they were not witnessed when he swore they were.”
The Statement of Witness portion of the petition sheet reads: “Each of the voters whose names are subscribed to this petition sheet. . .subscribed his or her name in my presence.
“I understand that this statement will be accepted fore all purposes as the equivalent of an affidavit and, if it contains a material false statement, shall subject me to the same penalties as if I had been duly sworn.”
The new charges target Mr. LaPietra’s signature to those statements.
“My problem is that when you sign, it’s just like taking an oath in court,” Mr. Sacket said. “We need to depend on oaths that were sworn by candidates.”
Mr. Sacket said he’ll bring the new charges when he presents the case to a grand jury this Friday.
Those charges stem from Mr. LaPietra listing 784 East Main Street on his petitions. Village officials have maintained he doesn’t live there.
Mr. Sacket agreed.
“Our position is that in no way, shape or form does he live there,” the District Attorney said. “I don’t feel he’s met the criteria.”
Besides insisting that he’s innocent, Mr. LaPietra plans to take the unusual step of testifying before the grand jury––against the advice of his attorney, James Long of Albany.
Also, Mr. LaPietra said he’ll remain in the race, which also features Linda Holmes and incumbent Carol McGuire. The three candidates are running for two trustee seats.