Wading River woman sentenced to prison for taking bribes as Suffolk County employee

A former Suffolk County employee from Wading River was sentenced to up to three years in prison Thursday for accepting bribes and falsifying paperwork for license applications, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Thursday.

Brianna Hassett, 33, who worked for the county Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs, had pleaded guilty in March to a charge of attempted bribe receiving in the third degree, a Class E felony, in Suffolk County Supreme Court, Riverhead News-Review previously reported.

“Public servants hold a position of trust, and any attempt to betray that trust through corruption strikes at the heart of fair and honest government,” Mr. Tierney said. “This office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who seek to undermine our institutions through bribery or other corrupt acts. I want to thank the County Executive for referring this matter to my office.” 

Ms. Hassett was hired in 2021 as an office assistant in the department, and while in that role, she accepted a monetary bribe and falsified an application for a home improvement license. Officials said she also received a bribe in exchange for providing correct answers to the vocational license exam.

She and her husband, Esteban Bermudez — who was not a county employee — were arrested on Feb. 13, 2025. He pleaded guilty to offering a false instrument in the first degree and was sentenced to five years of probation on May 27.

Ms. Hassett resigned from her job with the county on May 14, 2025. 

County Executive Ed Romaine thanked District Attorney Tierney and his team for holding people accountable.

“Government employees work for the people, and when that trust is broken there needs to be consequences,” he said.