Year in Review, September: Hempstead town clerk arrested for misconduct

Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla was arrested and faced criminal charges stemming from sexual harassment allegations that have been under investigation for the past month.

Bonilla, 50, was arrested on Sept. 21 by investigators from the Nassau County district attorney’s office. According to Town Supervisor Kate Murray, complaints of sexual harassment by Bonilla were made to the town’s Human Resources department in mid-August. The town attorney’s office began its own investigation before turning the case over to District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Bonilla, the town clerk since 2003, faces misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, second-degree coercion and attempted petit larceny. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Sept. 22.