ROBERT V. TENDY
PUTNAM COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROBERT V. TENDY – Was elected Putnam District Attorney in November of 2015 and took office on January 1, 2016.
A graduate of St. John’s University Law School, Mr. Tendy started his legal career as a trial prosecutor with the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s office in 1989. While there he personally handled hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases ranging from simple petit larceny to assaults, burglaries, arsons, robberies, attempted murders, and numerous other criminal charges. Mr. Tendy presented many cases to grand juries and brought over twenty cases to trial in his four years as an Assistant District Attorney. In 1994 he began his own practice specializing in criminal defense work. From 1994 until being sworn in as District Attorney for Putnam in 2016, Mr. Tendy handled hundreds of cases and successfully defended dozens of cases at trial from DWI, to assault, sex crimes, computer crimes, drug charges, murder, and other charges.
Mr. Tendy also served as Councilman on the Putnam Valley Town Board from 2003 – 2008, and as the Putnam Valley Town Supervisor from 2008 – 2016. In addition to holding a Juris Doctor degree, he has a Master of Arts in English Literature.
As District Attorney, Mr. Tendy oversees all aspects of the office’s prosecutions, is primarily responsible for the operations and budget of the office, and sets the office prosecution and ethics policies.
Our Legal Staff
FOR THE PUTNAM COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
Chief ADA Chana Krauss – Started her career in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in 1990. Chana was a Major Case trial assistant prosecuting violent crimes including Murder, Rape, Burglary, Robbery and Gang Assaults. When Chana left the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in 2008 to join the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office she was Deputy Chief of Grand Jury supervising 40 assistant district attorneys, was in charge of the cold case DNA unit, and was liaison to the Gang Intel unit at Rikers Island. In addition to her supervisory role in the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, Chana prosecutes violent crimes including the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes. Chana was a recipient in 2017 of the Robert Morgenthau prosecutor of the year award.
ADA Larry Glasser – Joined the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s Office in 2002. Named Criminal Court Supervisor, Sept 2007-Feb 2009, where he supervised approximately 12-15 first and second year prosecutors. In 2010 he was named a “Homicide Assistant” and began investigating and prosecuting homicides, vehicular fatalities, police shootings, and other similarly-serious cases. ADA Glasser joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in 2016. He has tried approximately 30 jury trials including Murder 1, Murder 2, Rape, Burglary, Robbery, Weapons Possession, Assault, Drug Sales, Drug Possession, Larceny, Identity Theft, Police Impersonation, and other crimes in his career. He has also taught and led CLE training sessions and workshops in numerous areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, and trial advocacy.
ADA Glasser is responsible for one of the two local courts in Carmel and one of the two County Court parts that hear felony cases, and is the asset forfeiture coordinator for the DA’s office.
ADA Patricia Rau – Joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s office in January of 2016. She was the Deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Putnam Valley for five and half years and graduated New York Law School in 2015. ADA Rau is admitted to both the New York and New Jersey bars and is a certified forensic interviewer.
ADA Rau is responsible for several local courts on the western half of the county as well as the Integrated Domestic Violence Court.
ADA Breanne Smith – Breanne began her career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in 2008 in their Criminal Court Bureau. She acted as a Special Prosecutor in New York County Criminal Court and was promoted to “Team Leader” in 2009 where she supervised approximately 70 Assistant District Attorneys. In 2010, Breanne was transferred to the office’s Intake Bureau where she was responsible for indicting numerous violent and non-violent felony cases, before joining the Narcotics Bureau in 2012. As a narcotics ADA, Breanne handled hundreds of felony and misdemeanor narcotics cases. She worked with various law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD Bronx Narcotics and Major Case Units, on several long term investigations which ultimately led to numerous felony arrests. She also appeared in the Bronx Supreme Court as the Drug Treatment Court liaison for the bureau.
Breanne began with our office in January of 2016 and currently handles the Village of Brewster Court and all of the felony narcotics arrests county-wide. She is also assigned to work with the Honorable Judge James Reitz and the Putnam County Drug Treatment Court team in county court.
ADA Joseph Charbonneau – Joe started with the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in June of 1992. Since that time, he has tried over a dozen jury trials for charges ranging from Murder 2, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Burglary, Robbery, Sexual Assault, Driving While Intoxicated and other crimes. He has personally presented hundreds of cases before the Putnam County Grand Jury. He has handled criminal Court calendars in all Courts in Putnam County and has successfully defended appeals before the Appellate Term 9th Judicial District and the Supreme Court Appellate Division, 2nd Department.
Joe is responsible for one of the two local courts in the Towns of Carmel and Kent and is currently handling serious Vehicular Crimes for the DA’s office.
ADA Melissa Lynch – Melissa began her career in criminal justice as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2010 where she investigated violations of the Controlled Substance Act, as well as various felony and misdemeanor crimes on the state and federal level. In 2013, Melissa joined the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office as a Criminal Court Assistant where she managed a criminal court caseload of approximately 200 cases of varying types of misdemeanor offenses. Melissa was transferred to the Special Victim’s Bureau in 2014 where she investigated and successfully prosecuted domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual violence, and sex offender registration cases.
Melissa currently handles the Town of Putnam Valley Court and Appeals.
ADA Laura Roberts – Began her career as a prosecutor with the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in 2007. During that time she has held several different positions within the office including being the prosecutor assigned to the Child Advocacy Center, as well as her current position handling both misdemeanor and felony cases for the Town of Kent and Town of Patterson. Ms. Roberts has presented in the Putnam County Grand Jury and has tried several misdemeanors cases. Ms. Robert brings a unique background and experience to our office due to her broad experience in private practice which includes practicing matrimonial, real estate, municipal, tort, surrogate, and contract law.
Laura is currently responsible for three Justice Courts in the Towns of Patterson and the Town of Kent.
ADA David Bishop – David first joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in April of 2014, and was made responsible for multiple justice courts, appeals and motions, and asset forfeiture. David has responded to over a dozen appeals and post-conviction motions, and tried several misdemeanor cases to verdict. David briefly left the office between April, 2016 and July, 2017, during which time he was employed as an agency attorney by the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection. Since his return, David is in charge of all appeals and asset forfeitures. He also manages one of the justice courts in the Town of Putnam Valley.