Peekskill police officer Michael Agovino, 33, was arrested Saturday after a woman with learning disabilities turned in a six-minute tape that was secretly recording Agovino groping her and attempting to force her into her bedroom.
It all started in July of 2019, when Agovino contacted the woman and told her she needed to meet him in a public location for his investigation into her alleged larceny.
Once the woman denied stealing the money, Agovino ordered her into his patrol car to take her home to search her house for the stolen money, according to the complaint.
But when they arrived at her home, Agovino ordered her to strip for him to search her. The woman was in fear for her life due to his authoritative power as well as him being armed, so she complied.
Once she was unclothed, Agovino groped her breasts saying she “had beautiful breasts,” according to the complaint. As Agovino was leaving, he told her he would be back to arrest her if he found out she did indeed steal money.
He came back days later, in uniform, unannounced, but not to arrest her.
Agovino illegally entered her house and tried to intimidate her by telling her he was going to arrest her based off the evidence he found, according to the complaint.
The woman tried telling Agovino that she has blood pressure issues and needed to take her medicine. Agovino refused to allow her to take it and gave her an ultimatum. He told her to either strip once more or preform oral sex on him.
Still in fear, the woman chose to strip down again for Agovino. Agovino fondled himself through his clothes, according to the complaint.
Agovino showed up once more, in uniform, on January 22 and became hostile.
He demanded for her to strip and “let me see that.” She repeatedly told him no numerous times. So, he groped her over her clothes. He attempted to force her into her bedroom, according to the complaint. His demands were met with an even louder “no.”
The January 22 interaction was secretly recorded by the woman who turned the tape over to authorities.
Agovino was charged with three sex related charges: first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree stalking as a sexually motivated felony, and second-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony.
He is currently being held on a $50,000 bail in Westchester County jail in Valhalla. It is unknown if he has an attorney.
Peekskill Police department took to Facebook to release a press release saying they are cooperating with investigating officers.
Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey also took to Facebook calling saying that his behavior makes him sick and is intolerable.
Westchester’s district attorney Anthony Scarpino said that there is no evidence that she committed any crimes related to Agovino’s investigation and the woman was never arrested.
This is not the first time Agovino has made headlines.
Agovino was in a police brutality lawsuit that was settled in 2015. The complainant sued Agovino, a second Peekskill police officer, and the city police department seeking $75,000, in 2013. According to the lawsuit, a resident claimed Agovino used a Taser on him while being falsely arrested with larceny. Details about the settlement were not publicly disclosed.
