A former New York state judge killed himself Tuesday morning when federal agents arrived at his home to arrest him in connection with an embezzlement case.
Stewart Rosenwasser was an Orange County Court judge for seven years and a former prosecutor for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, according to the Albany Times-Union,
Rosenwasser, who had been accused of taking bribes, lived in Campbell Hall near Middletown, New York.
Former NY Judge Stewart Rosenwasser Takes His Own Life as FBI Arrives to Arrest Him for Corruption
Stewart Rosenwasser, a retired judge and former prosecutor in Orange County, NY, committed suicide as FBI agents arrived at his Campbell Hall home to arrest him in connection with… pic.twitter.com/nK2DTuhVwy
— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) September 24, 2024
The FBI arrived at about 9:35 a.m. to execute the warrant and reported that shots had been fired and that a subject was barricaded in the house.
Several minutes later, four shots were fired. The Times-Union cited sources it did not name to say Rosenwasser killed himself.
NBC reported that Rosenwasser allegedly pointed a gun at agents when they arrived.
At least one shot was fired by FBI agents, NBC quoted sources it did not name as saying.
“The FBI is reviewing an agent-involved shooting that occurred earlier this morning in Campbell Hall, NY. The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents seriously,” the FBI said in a statement, according to the Times-Union.
“In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division. As this is an ongoing matter, we have no further details to provide,” the statement said.
Rosenwasser’s son, Jason, said headlines about suicide may be inaccurate, according to the New York Post.
“The only thing I feel compelled to point out is that the local news headlines are reporting that my father fatally shot himself while also reporting in the same article that the FBI field office issued a statement calling it an agent-involved shooting,” he wrote in an email.
The incident came a day after Rosenwasser was indicted and accused of taking $63,000 in payoffs to ensure a favorable outcome in a case that involved an old friend.
The Times Union said Rosenwasser was indicted along with Mout’z “Marty” Soudani, who was the victim in a theft and embezzlement case Rosenwasser had prosecuted in 2022 and 2023.
A grand jury indicted both men on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and honest services wire fraud.
In addition to bribery, Rosenwasser was charged with extortion under color of official right and making false statements to the FBI.
“It’s truly heartbreaking that it ended this way. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family,” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said, according to CBS.
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