The long winding tale of former Sloatsburg Building Inspector John Layne ended quietly at Sloatsburg’s Justice Court Wednesday evening when Layne pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct. The plea deal brings Layne a one-year conditional discharge, but will also involve a misdemeanor on his permanent record as it amounts to the admission of official corruption.

The Rockland County Times first reported on the Layne plea deal and sentencing. Layne was investigated by Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe’s Office of Special Investigations Unit for inappropriately doing business in Sloatsburg while serving as village building inspector. The corruption charges included steering residents to Layne’s electrical businesses, Airmont Electric and Advanced Electrical Construction and burying his activities in village records.

The ethics charges against Layne came to light during a review of backlogged building permits and related paperwork in the Sloatsburg Building Department during a change-over of inspectors. If Layne stays trouble-free with the law in the next year, he will have no further penalty related to the case.

Friend to some and foe to others, Layne, a licensed electrical contractor, served as the Village of Sloatsburg Building Inspector between 2002 and 2009 — which means he served for a time simultaneously as mayor of Airmont and as Sloatsburg’s building inspector. Additionally, while building inspector, Layne was also appointed village code enforcer, a move that consolidated his authority over all village construction matters. At the time, as building inspector and code enforcer, Layne’s office had final say on whether or not residents or businesses received building permits or a licenses of occupancy. His office received little oversight by the village.

In time, Layne’s reign became tendentious among residents, creating a rift on the Village Board that eventually involved a civil rights lawsuit brought by former Village Trustee Becky Kern that related to a construction project on Kern’s property. The board finally took action and laid off Layne in 2009 by hiring a neighboring village inspector that was publicly positioned as a cost-cutting measure.

Kern’s charges against Layne included the removal of a building permit from a job site and attempting to change the zoning on the Kern’s property. Kern’s case went to trial, where she won a $200,000 judgement against Sloatsburg and Layne. The village ended up paying out $150,000 to Kern. It’s not known if Layne has paid his portion of the penalty.

“Our lawsuit against the village was a First Amendment case because John Layne retaliated against me for speaking out against him over the years, questioning his job duties, performance, and what appeared to be improprieties,” Kern said when first learning of Layne’s arrest on the Sloatsburg corruption charges. “My public speech was protected and it was proven that he was guilty in Federal Supreme Court.”

In addition to Sloatsburg building inspector, Layne also served as Suffern building inspector, Airmont mayor, Town of Ramapo deputy highway superintendent, and Wesley Hills building inspector.

Currently, Sloatsburg employs Timothy Duffy as Building Inspector, Fire Inspector and Code Enforcer. Duffy works part-time for the village and has no other related business with the village. Additionally, the village board liaison to the Building Department, Trustee Peter Akey, works in tandem with Duffy’s department as part of the village’s improved oversight procedures.

In an unrelated matter, Journal News writer Steve Lieberman reported last Wednesday, March 20, that the wayward wanderings of former Sloatsburg Village attorney Joel Grossbarth ended when Grossbarth pled guilty to stealing $1.47 million from client accounts. Rockland prosecutors said they were seeking a six-year prison term for Grossbarth for engaging in numerous acts of criminal chicanery. Layne was instrumental in helping to bring Grossbarth to Sloatsburg, as Grossbarth served the Village of Airmont as village attorney during Layne’s mayoral tenure.

Rockland D.A. Thomas Zugibe said most of the people victimized by Grossbarth have been repaid through the state Lawyers Fund for Clients Protection. The fund, financed by lawyers’ dues, repays people who are cheated by attorneys.

Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright said Grossbarth always acted professionally.

“We’re always saddened and disappointed when a public official betrays the trust of the community,” Wright said. “He didn’t take from the village, thankfully. I think the problem he had related to his gambling. Gambling is a disease. But you have to get treatment. It’s a shame.”