By Peter Sorkin
John Meunkle, 36, of 7 Beacon Hill Drive in Stonybrook, was charged with forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument for allegedly falsifying an order to show cause and a temporary restraining order purportedly signed by Queens Supreme Court Justice Charles Latorella. If convicted, Meunkle faces up to seven years in prison and disbarment.
Brown said the defendant represented Hollywood Silverstar Carting at 41-06 and 41-08 Berrian Blvd. in Long Island City. The New York City Trade Waste Commission denied the company's August 1996 application to renew its operating license because it allegedly contained false information about the company's knowledge of another trade organization's illegal practices.
Brown alleged Meunkle then forged an order giving the company the authority to operate despite the fact that it was no longer licensed.
“The forging of court document, especially court orders, is a crime that attacks the integrity of the court process and therefore is taken very seriously,” Brown said. “When such a crime is committed by a lawyer, it is particularly reprehensible.”
The Trade Waste Commission was established by Local Law 42 in 1996 to bring an end to decades of organized crime corruption and anti-competitive practices in New York's commercial carting industry, Brown said.
Trade and Waste Commission Acting Chairman and Executive Director Raymond Casey said he was committed to ridding his industry of corruption.
“The commission has worked diligently to rid the city's carting industry of entities that participated in the organized crime-controlled carting cartel that existed in the city prior to 1995,” he said in a statement. “The licensing process implemented by the TWC is corrupted when legal professionals use deceit in a misguided effort to aid their clients. When this occurs, the commission will act decisively to ensure its orders are adhered to.”
