Ex-Suffolk Employee from Wading River Admits Bribes
A Wading River woman has admitted to taking bribes in exchange for falsifying paperwork for license applications while she was working at the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
Brianna Hassett pleaded guilty on March 25 at Suffolk County court to charges of attempted bribe receiving. Her husband, Esteban Bermudez, pleaded guilty on the same day to offering a false instrument as a part of the scheme.
“This defendant’s conduct constitutes an egregious and systematic breach of public trust, as she placed her own greed above her responsibilities as a public official,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
Prosecutors said the 33-year-old woman, who was working as an office assistant in the department’s licensing unit, took a monetary bribe and falsified an application for a Home Improvement license in concert with her husband, Esteban Bermudez, in January 2025.
She also shared questions and answers to the proficiency examination required for Suffolk to issue a vocational license in exchange for a separate bribe, authorities added.
Hassett and Bermudez were both arrested on Feb. 13, 2025. Hassett resigned on May 14, 2025.
Hassett faces up to three years in prison when she is sentenced on May 27. Bermudez will be sentenced to five years of probation on the same day.
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