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Draftsman charged with forgery
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| John Novine was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with 16 felonies for forging an official engineering stamp and charging customers for using it, according to New York State Police officials in Livingston. |
Novine allegedly duplicated, used unidentified engineer’s stamp
By Jamie Larson
A local architectural draftsman was arrested Wednesday morning, and charged with 16 felonies for forging an official engineering stamp and charging customers for using it, according to New York State Police officials in Livingston.
John Novine, 45, of Kinderhook, is a self-employed designer and draftsman who drew up various plans for the construction or renovation of homes, garages and additions. According to Senior Investigator Gary Mazzacano, Novine needed a licensed engineer to stamp and sign his drafts before they could be approved for a building permit.
Novine allegedly made a duplicate of the stamp of an unidentified Columbia County engineer who had approved drafts of the suspect’s in the past. Officials said Novine used the stamp on his drafts, then charged his clients for the fraudulent official approval. Mazzacano added the engineer had no knowledge that the duplicate was made.
Plans approved with the false stamp were filed with various building inspectors in the towns of Ghent, Kinderhook and Chatham.
Novine was arraigned in Ghent Town Court Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. by Justice David Harrison and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash, or $20,000 bond. He is to reappear in Ghent court on Dec. 7. He is charged with six counts of second-degree forgery, six counts of offering a false instrument or filing in the first degree, and one count of criminal possession of a forgery device.
Anyone who may have had plans drafted by Novine and question the authenticity of the engineer’s stamp and signature should contact investigator Abdul Weed or Mazzacano at the State Police Troop K Livingston Barracks at 518-851-2001.
John Novine, 45, of Kinderhook, is a self-employed designer and draftsman who drew up various plans for the construction or renovation of homes, garages and additions. According to Senior Investigator Gary Mazzacano, Novine needed a licensed engineer to stamp and sign his drafts before they could be approved for a building permit.
Novine allegedly made a duplicate of the stamp of an unidentified Columbia County engineer who had approved drafts of the suspect’s in the past. Officials said Novine used the stamp on his drafts, then charged his clients for the fraudulent official approval. Mazzacano added the engineer had no knowledge that the duplicate was made.
Plans approved with the false stamp were filed with various building inspectors in the towns of Ghent, Kinderhook and Chatham.
Novine was arraigned in Ghent Town Court Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. by Justice David Harrison and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash, or $20,000 bond. He is to reappear in Ghent court on Dec. 7. He is charged with six counts of second-degree forgery, six counts of offering a false instrument or filing in the first degree, and one count of criminal possession of a forgery device.
Anyone who may have had plans drafted by Novine and question the authenticity of the engineer’s stamp and signature should contact investigator Abdul Weed or Mazzacano at the State Police Troop K Livingston Barracks at 518-851-2001.
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