Former New York Prosecutor Dies in Apparent Suicide as FBI Arrives at His Home to Make Arrest in Bribery Case

Former Orange County prosecutor Stewart Rosenwasser died by suicide as FBI agents arrived at his home to arrest him on bribery charges. He was accused of accepting over $63,000 in bribe payments while working for the District Attorney’s Office. When the FBI arrived, Rosenwasser allegedly pointed a gun at the agents, leading to at least one shot fired by the FBI. He then barricaded himself and took his own life. The FBI is reviewing the incident, but provided no further details. The indictment alleges that Rosenwasser used his position to investigate and prosecute individuals at the request of his co-defendant, a self-proclaimed millionaire and former restaurant owner. The co-defendant allegedly paid Rosenwasser at least $63,000 in bribes to seize money from individuals as restitution. Rosenwasser also allegedly lied about his relationship with the co-defendant to hide his criminal conduct. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler expressed sadness over the situation, noting that it was “truly heartbreaking.” Rosenwasser received multiple awards during his time in the district attorney’s office, but quietly resigned in June. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on the case.

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