ROBERT V. TENDY
PUTNAM COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROBERT V. TENDY was elected Putnam District Attorney in November 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’s prosecution and ethics policies.
Our Legal Staff
FOR THE PUTNAM COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
Chief Assistant District Attorney Chana Krauss joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in 2008. She started her career in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in 1990, where she was a Major Case trial assistant prosecuting violent crimes including Murder, Rape, Burglary, Robbery and Gang Assaults. When she left the Bronx 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, CADA Krauss is the Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau. She was a recipient in 2017 of the Robert Morgenthau Prosecutor of the Year award.
First Assistant District Attorney Larry Glasser joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in March 2016. He began his legal career in the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s Office in 2002. From 2007 to 2009 FADA Glasser supervised approximately 12-15 first and second year prosecutors as the Criminal Court Supervisor. In 2010 he was named a “Homicide Assistant” and was responsible for investigating and prosecuting homicides, vehicular fatalities, police shootings, and other similarly serious cases. FADA Glasser has presented hundreds of cases to the grand jury and has tried approximately 30 jury trials including Murder 1, Murder 2, Rape, Burglary, Robbery, Weapons Possession, Assault, Drug Sales, Drug Possession, Grand Larceny, Identity Theft, Police Impersonation, and other crimes. FADA Glasser has also appeared before the Appellate Division (First and Second Departments) and the Court of Appeals. He has also taught and led CLE training sessions and workshops in numerous areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, and trial advocacy. FADA Glasser is also the Chief of the Major Financial Crimes Bureau.
Assistant District Attorney Todd Carpenter joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in January 2021. Prior to joining the office, ADA Carpenter practiced almost exclusively in the area of criminal defense with various firms in Dutchess County before opening and operating his own law firm in 2017 in Poughkeepsie, NY. As a defense attorney, ADA Carpenter represented clients throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City charged with offenses ranging from misdemeanor DWI to class A felonies.
Assistant District Attorney Joseph Charbonneau joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in June 1992. Since that time, he has tried over a dozen jury trials for charges ranging including Murder 2, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Burglary, Robbery, Sexual Assault, Driving While Intoxicated, and other crimes. ADA Charbonneau has presented hundreds of cases before the Putnam County Grand Jury, has handled criminal court calendars in all Courts in Putnam County, and has successfully defended appeals before the Appellate Division, Second Department and the Supreme Court Appellate Term Ninth Judicial District.
Assistant District Attorney Kevin Richard Douchkoff joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in May 2021 and is a member of the Major Financial Crimes Bureau. Previously, he served just under two years as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York prosecuting juvenile delinquency by means of rehabilitative and restorative justice. He was one of the first attorneys in the “Raise the Age” era to be cross designated as a Bronx Assistant D.A. for purposes of analyzing and drafting criminal cases by adolescent offenders that had the potential to be removed to Family Court for prosecution and rehabilitative services. He is a graduate of Pace Law where he focused on criminal law and the evolving role of the prosecutor.
Assistant District Attorney Mackenzie Ferguson joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in March 2019 and is a member of the Narcotics Bureau. ADA Ferguson graduated with honors from Pace Law School in 2018 as part of an accelerated 3 + 3 program. She has interned and volunteered with the Putnam County Court from 2012 – 2018 and has previously volunteered with the Putnam County Youth Court program.
Assistant District Attorney David Rosenberg joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in July 2020 and is a member of the Major Financial Crimes Bureau. He previously served as an Assistant Attorney General, representing New York State agencies, officials, and employees in state and federal civil actions. There, he handled cases for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Mental Health, Office of Court Administration, and State Police. Prior to that, ADA Rosenberg was an associate attorney with a Hudson Valley law firm, where he represented local municipalities, school districts, businesses, and individuals in wide-ranging litigation matters. ADA Rosenberg was the Legal Assistant to the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York prior to becoming an attorney.
Assistant District Attorney Breanne Smith joined the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office in January 2016 and is the Chief of the Narcotics Bureau. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in 2008 in the Criminal Court Bureau. ADA Smith 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, ADA Smith was transferred to the Intake Bureau where she was responsible for indicting numerous violent and non-violent felony cases. She joined the Narcotics Bureau in 2012, where she handled hundreds of felony and misdemeanor narcotics cases. ADA Smith 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.