$1K Fine For LI Lawmaker Who Made Fake Company To Hide Money: DA

MASTIC, NY — A Suffolk County legislator was fined $1,000 and avoided jail time after admitting in court to creating a shell company to hide income.

Republican Rudolph Sunderman, 51, of Mastic, made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty Friday to failing to file an accurate financial disclosure statement, a misdemeanor. He agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and waived his right to an appeal. He was granted a conditional discharge and is prohibited from serving as a legislator.

Sunderman was represented by Raymond Perini, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"The defendant is a convicted criminal who is disqualified from holding the position of trust that he betrayed through his actions," Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said in a statement.

Sunderman, the Mastic Fire Department chief, has represented Suffolk County’s Third Legislative District since January 2018. He told Patch he resigned from his position and said he will become deputy director of the Suffolk County Fire Academy later this month.

Before he was elected to the Suffolk County legislature Sunderman was employed as the district manager for the Centereach Fire District in November 2017, earning $175,000 a year, Sini said, adding he was also employed as the district secretary for the Center Moriches Fire District, earning $20,000 a year.

On December 6, 2017, Sunderman received an opinion from the Suffolk County Board of Ethics that continuing to serve in these roles while serving as a legislator would constitute a violation of the Suffolk County code, Sini said. Sunderman resigned from his position with the Center Moriches Fire District.

Sunderman tried to circumvent the ruling by creating a shell company, Now That’s Fire Management, Inc., in his wife’s name and arranging for the Centereach Board of Fire Commissioners to hire him through that company for $10,000 per month, Sini said. Between January 2, 2018, and June 30, 2018, Now That’s Fire Management, Inc. received $60,000 in payments.

After receiving a complaint, the Suffolk County Board of Ethics began an investigation. On April 23, 2019, Sunderman failed to disclose his outside employment and his wife’s income from the Centereach Fire District on a financial disclosure form filed with the Suffolk County Board of Ethics for the 2018 reporting year, Sini said.

Sunderman was charged with multiple counts of perjury on July 16, 2019; those charges were dropped in his plea deal.

“This legislator was told by the Suffolk County Board of Ethics that he was not permitted under the law to continue to get paid by the Centereach Fire District on top of his six-figure legislator salary,” Sini said. “Instead of simply doing the right thing, he created a sham company in his wife’s name to try to get around the ruling. When the Board of Ethics started asking questions about this employment, he filed a false financial disclosure form with the Board of Ethics concealing $60,000 in outside income paid to that company for his continued work for the fire district."

Sunderman issued a statement Friday: "From the beginning of this case I have consistently maintained that this was a politically motivated attack aimed at derailing an otherwise unblemished public service career," he said. "What I pled guilty to is failing to answer two questions in a financial disclosure form which is 31 pages long and contains over 100 questions. I failed to answer about my non-county employment and my wife’s non-county income; however, I did months earlier under oath. When asked by the Board of Ethics those two questions I answered them correctly and honestly."

He added: "For the sake of my family, especially my children who have been harassed, intimidated and bullied, this is now behind us but those involved, including political figures and their proxies, should be ashamed of themselves. Those that know me as a life-long first responder, pharmacy district manager and, as a two-term Suffolk County legislator, know that I have a strong work ethic and have always been committed 24/7 to serve my community; focusing on public safety, public health, the environment and quality of life issues. I got into politics to make the 3rd legislative district and all of our communities a better place. Thank you for all your support and I will always be here for my community and my family — but now turn my focus to the next chapter."