A failed upstate New York Meeting candidate turned himself in to police after he was caught on digital camera allegedly stealing his rival’s marketing campaign flyer out of a resident’s mailbox and swapping it together with his personal.
Republican Joseph Mastroianni was charged with petit larceny for the switch-up after surrendering to Socita Village police on Thursday.
Mastroianni, who’s a member of the Rotterdam City Board, had launched a bid for the 111th Meeting District — overlaying Schenectady and Montgomery counties — towards Democrat and six-term incumbent Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara.
Regardless of his alleged efforts to interchange Santabarbara’s messaging together with his personal, Mastroianni misplaced to the incumbent on Tuesday.
The candidate was filmed on Oct. 17 by a Ring doorbell digital camera eradicating a political mailer from the mailbox of a possible voter, stuffing it into his pocket and putting one in all his marketing campaign flyers into the identical mailbox.
“Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous,” Mastroianni stated slyly within the clip whereas a lady laughed behind him.
The house owner noticed by way of the put up workplace’s “knowledgeable mail supply” emails {that a} Santabarbara marketing campaign flyer was despatched to their dwelling the identical day however was lacking — and allegedly swiped by the Republican challenger, in keeping with the footage.
Mastroianni may face federal prices along with the native misdemeanor as stealing mail is a federal felony, punishable by as much as 5 years in jail.
The Scotia Village Police Division was tipped off concerning the alleged theft by Schenectady County Democratic Committee chairman Frank Salamone.
Salamone additionally filed complaints over the mail swapping with the US Postal Service, the state Board of Elections, the state police and the Schenectady County Sheriff.
He offered the companies with the house owner’s Ring digital camera footage of a mail service delivering the election flyer and “crystal clear video of Mr. Mastroianni later eradicating the mailer, folding it up and placing it in his pocket whereas laughing and telling his confederate ‘Dangerous, Dangerous, Dangerous,’ clearly acknowledging his misconduct,” Salamone stated.
The committee chair, who’s additionally an lawyer, once more known as on Mastroianni to resign from his place on the Rotterdam City Board.
“Not solely did Mr. Mastroianni commit against the law on digital camera, however his refusal to supply a proof for his actions … demonstrates his utter disregard for the general public he claims to serve,” Salamone stated in an announcement Thursday.
“The City of Rotterdam deserves to be represented by somebody who will not be an unapologetic thief.”
Mastroianni didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Thursday.
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