Kinderhook man charged with forging building documents

KINDERHOOK, N.Y. -- State police have arrested a 45-year old Kinderhook man on multiple forgery charges.

Police say John Novine, a designer, submitted plans for homes and garages and unlawfully made up a stamp to get them approved by local building departments. 

He is charged with six counts of second degree forgery, six counts of offering a false instrument for filing, three counts of falsifying business records and one count of criminal possession of a forgery device.

Architectural Plans have to be stamped by a licensed engineer in order to be approved for building by local building departments.

Police say Novine drafted those plans and signed and stamped them using a duplicate stamp of a licensed engineer. He made up the stamp without telling the engineer, say police.

Police say Novine then passed those stamped documents for approval to buildings departments in Ghent, Kinderhook and Chatham in Columbia Co.

Senior Investigator gary Mazzacano says Novine also collected the fee normally paid to engineers who verify and stamp those drawings.

Novine is in Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 7.