(Rochester, N.Y.) -- Suspended Greece police officer Gary Pignato has been found guilty of coercing a woman into sex, accepting sex as a bribe, and official misconduct.
He faces up to four years in prison.
Prosecuting attorney Bill Gargan said that the verdict of guilty was "a long time coming" and that the woman who testified "will sleep well tonight."
The victim was not in court Monday, but was called with the verdict and expressed relief. She will be leaving town for awhile.
The defense attorney said they were disappointed, "but it's the jury's call."
The prosecution said Pignato played on the victim's vulnerability "because he knew she was a vulnerable wreck."
Pignato knew because he was involved in her "mental health" arrest not long before the sexual encounter took place.
The jury took just over four hours to find Pignato guilty.
Greece Town Supervisor John Auberger released a statement saying that, due to the verdict, Pignato has been dismissed from his job, as mandated by New York state law for Public Officers.
The statement said: "Mr. Pignato's actions were disgraceful not only in the eyes of the jury but in the eyes of those in law enforcement and public service who are dedicated to protect and serve others."
Residents React to Verdict
Resident Joseph St. Denis said, “He got what he deserved. You're going to mess around and do that, you're going to get caught. I think it was a horrible thing, and he got the right verdict.”
Sandi Cronin has lived in Greece her entire life. She said she’s glad jurors found Pignato guilty, but says something has to change in the Greece Police Department.
“i think there needs to be more investigation done in to that whole department,” she said. “At this point, I'm totally unhappy with the whole situation. It's not just that, it's our chief of police, and the whole thing.
Another former Greece Police Sergeant Nick Joseph is currently serving three to seven years in prison after being found guilty of for leaving the scene of an accident that seriously injured a pregnant woman. He was high on cocaine at the time.
The departments’ response to that incident prompted an internal investigation, that lead to suspensions of Police Chief Merritt Rahn and two other officers for allegedly shredding documents.
