Hempstead businessman pleads guilty in bribery, extortion scheme

A Hempstead restaurateur admitted Monday to conspiring with a former village trustee to extort local business owners for $150,000 in bribes, threatening them with tickets and potential closure if they didn't comply.

William Mendez, 50, of Elmont, pleaded guilty during a virtual hearing in Nassau Criminal Court to two counts each of second-degree tampering with public records, second-degree bribe receiving, second-degree grand larceny by means of extortion and one count each of fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy.

Mendez, who was first arrested in 2018, offered little comment other than to his admit his role in the scheme. Prosecutors dropped several other charges as part of the plea deal.

Nassau Supervising Judge Teresa Corrigan is expected to sentence Mendez to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. He must also pay $35,000 in restitution to his victims, beginning one year after his sentencing. Mendez is due back in court May 17.

After completing his sentence, Mendez, a father of three, will likely be deported to Mexico, prosecutors said.

"William Mendez tormented numerous Hispanic-owned businesses with threat of ticket blitzes and closures if they didn’t pay bribes to him and former Village of Hempstead Trustee Perry Pettus," said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. "Small, family-owned businesses are the backbone of our communities and these defendants exploited immigrant owners simply out of personal greed."

Bruce Barket, Mendez's defense attorney, said "we believe it to be a fair resolution of the various charges he was facing."

Prosecutors contend Mendez, who owns or has a financial interest in four Hempstead bars and restaurants, acted as Pettus’ Spanish-speaking intermediary in the bribery and extortion scheme, which took place from June 2017 to July 2018.

Hispanic-owned businesses were threatened with tickets, fines and revocation of their business, cabaret and liquor license unless they paid tens of thousands of dollars in bribes, prosecutors said. Mendez, officials said, would demand money from the victims and pass the cash on to Pettus.

Singas has said Pettus repeatedly discussed ordering village employees, including members of the Hempstead police department, "to specifically target and ticket certain businesses," including one across the street from a business Mendez owns.

The investigation included intercepted phone calls in which Pettus and Mendez reportedly spoke in code about protection payments, calling cash "cookies," prosecutors said.

Pettus, Hempstead’s former deputy mayor who was first elected to the village’s board of trustees in 2002, pleaded guilty in 2019 to corruption charges and pocketing more than $25,000 in bribes. He was sentenced last year to 2 1/3 to 7 years behind bars.

Mendez got favorable treatment from the village for his businesses as payback from Pettus, according to prosecutors.

They said Pettus fast-tracked certain business permits and licenses for Mendez and used village employees to help him increase the occupancy of his restaurant, El Pacifico, and assist him with architectural plans for a new business.

Mendez admitted Monday to working with Pettus and Hempstead Village Chief of Police Paul Johnson to toss several traffic tickets issued to him and a female co-worker.

Prosecutors said Johnson illegally tossed four tickets at the request of Pettus, who was acting for Mendez. Days later, Pettus was among those who interviewed Johnson, then a lieutenant, for a promotion before voting in June 2018 to name him acting police chief.

Johnson, Deputy Police Chief Richard Holland and Police Sgt. Joseph Savino were all charged in the scheme. Their cases are still pending.

Pettus also shared police intelligence regarding an MS-13 operative with Mendez, telling him police were aware someone who frequented a business of his was in the gang, prosecutors said.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.