Hudson Valley Man Convicted of $#!**y Crime Against Neighbor

One Hudson Valley neighbor dispute got so out of hand that it ended with a pretty crappy act of vandalism.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced that 74-year-old Nicholas Gemma of Newburgh was convicted of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree following a jury trial in Town of Newburgh Court.

According to prosecutors, the case stemmed from a long-running dispute between neighbors over a septic pipe that Gemma claimed was creating a foul odor.

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Surveillance Video Captured Stinky Sabotage

Police were called to a Town of Newburgh home after a resident discovered his septic pipe had been cut. Prosecutors said the homeowner was at work when he received an alert from his surveillance cameras.

The video allegedly showed Gemma entering the victim's property and using a saw to cut through the septic pipe behind the house.

When the homeowner returned home, prosecutors said the damage left him unable to use his toilet, sink or shower.

According to evidence presented during the trial, this was not an isolated incident.

Prosecutors told jurors it was at least the third time Gemma had cut the same septic pipe during the ongoing dispute.

The defendant reportedly argued that the pipe created an unpleasant smell. However, prosecutors said the Orange County Department of Health investigated those complaints and found no violations of state or county sanitary codes.

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Sentencing Scheduled For September

District Attorney Hoovler said disagreements between neighbors should be handled through legal and civil channels, not by taking matters into their own hands.

"This defendant's actions created a hazardous situation that needlessly required costly repairs," Hoovler said in a statement following the conviction.

Gemma is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15.