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QUEENS---A New York City Department of Education employee has been sentenced to four months of weekends in jail for unlawfully representing himself as a licensed architect and fraudulently submitting official documents bearing a bogus architect's stamp and his signature to the City's Building Department.
"The defendant preyed upon unsuspecting individuals who believed that they were working with a licensed architect who they paid to examine building plans and permit applications and related documentation" Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown said. "The defendant then falsely certified the documents as having been reviewed by a licensed architect. As a result of his deception, the City had to re-inspect the nearly 30 properties he reviewed to ensure that there were no major deficiencies in the filed plans."
James Arriaga, 51, 416 South Chelsea Road in White Plains, was employed by the New York City Department of Education as an assistant architect in the construction unit. In addition to the jail time, Arriaga, who pleaded guilty to a second-degree forgery and first-degree scheme to defraud in March, was sentenced by Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph Grosso to five years' probation and ordered to make reparations to the City in the amount of $10,000. The defendant was also required to resign his city position.
According to the charges, between April 1, 2001 and July 1, 2005, the defendant unlawfully practiced the profession of architecture by holding himself out as a licensed architect and by utilizing a bogus stamp and seal of an actual licensed architect to forge his certification on various official records that were ultimately filed with the New York City Department of Buildings. It is estimated that more than 150
individuals in every borough except Staten Island were defrauded by the defendant.
District Attorney Brown said that on Oct. 17, 2005, investigators with the New York State Department of Education's Office of Professional Discipline and New York City Department of Buildings accompanied investigators from the Queens District Attorney's New York State Police Squad in executing a court-authorized search warrant drafted by the District Attorney's Investigations Division at an apartment
at 30-56 30th Street in Astoria, Queens, which was believed being used by the defendant, and seized documents evidencing unlicensed practice of architecture and false filings.
The Education Law requires that architects be licensed by the State Education Department. The unlicensed practice of architecture poses a substantial danger to the public who relies on licensed architects to professionally design and certify the construction to be done on their homes, Brown said. The practice of architecture often includes vertical enhancements and modifications to older homes and new residences. Unlicensed practice can often result in poor design and construction that can result in tragic consequences, Brown added.
The public can check professional licensing by calling the New York State Department of Education at 1-800-442-8106 or going to the Department's website at www.op.nysed.gov. 5-23-06
© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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