Cops: East Rockaway clerk-treasurer shoplifted

East Rockaway Village's clerk-treasurer faces up to one year in jail following her arrest May 5 on a shoplifting charge at Green Acres Mall.

Piedimonte, who is paid $92,000 per year, has been suspended from her village job with pay pending her criminal case and a village investigation, said village attorney John Ryan. She has yet to enter a plea and is due in District Court in Hempstead on June 6.

Ryan said Piedimonte has worked for the village for more than 10 years, first as a deputy clerk and comptroller before becoming clerk-treasurer in 2011. She is well-liked by colleagues, who are reeling from the arrest, he said.

"It is a terrible shock and a terrible surprise and it's not a happy moment for anybody," Ryan said.

The village board could make a determination about Piedimonte's status before the criminal case concludes, Ryan said. For now, two deputies are carrying out her duties, he said.

Piedimonte faces a class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Piedimonte's attorney, Richard Leff of Kew Gardens, said she will enter a not guilty plea on June 6. He declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

"We'll deal with this in court," Leff said. "She's a real lovely woman."

Piedimonte is the village's primary tax collector and record keeper, Ryan said.