A Hempstead woman and an employee of the Yes We Can Community Center in North
Hempstead have been arraigned on charges that they drafted and submitted paperwork to the
Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, falsely claiming that the woman, who had pled guilty
to driving while intoxicated in 2022, had completed her required community service.
Nocianie Joseph, 33, and Travis Troiano, 33, of Westbury, were indicted and arraigned on
charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree (a D felony); offering
a false instrument for filing in the first degree (an E felony); and official misconduct (an A
misdemeanor). The defendants pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.
If convicted, they each face a maximum of up to seven years in prison.
On May 17, 2022, Joseph was arrested in Nassau County and charged with DWI. The Nassau
County District Attorney’s Office offered Joseph a conditional plea contract, which she accepted.
According to the terms of the agreement, Joseph was required to plead guilty to the top count and
complete several conditions of the contract within four months, including 35 hours of community
service. If she successfully completed the conditions, Joseph would be permitted to vacate her
guilty plea to the misdemeanor and enter a plea to a lesser charge.
On November 20, 2022, Travis Troiano, an employee of the Town of North Hempstead’s Yes
We Can Community Center, and a friend of Joseph, allegedly drafted and signed a fraudulent
letter stating that Joseph had successfully completed the community service at the Yes We Can
Center.
The letter was submitted to the NCDA as proof that Joseph had completed the requirement of her
plea contract. The letter was also submitted to Joseph’s attorney.
When the NCDA attempted to verify Joseph’s completion of the requirements of her plea
agreement, the office discovered that Joseph had never volunteered at the Yes We Can Center
and that the letter Troiano submitted was allegedly false. The investigation also revealed that
Troiano does not have the authority to draft or sign community service completion letters for the
Yes We Can Center.
Joseph was sentenced before Judge Joseph Girardi on the misdemeanor DWI charge on February
24, 2023, after failing the contract. She was sentenced to 60 days incarceration and three years’
probation.
Joseph surrendered to NCDA Detective Investigators on May 12, 2023 and arraigned the same
day. Troiano surrendered to NCDA Detective Investigators and was arraigned four days later.
Both defendants are due back in court on June 14.
“Recognizing that Nocianie Joseph was a first-time DWI offender, our office offered the
defendant a fair plea contract that would allow her to complete 35 hours of community service
and reduce the charge against her. Instead, despite agreeing to the plea, Joseph and her friend
Travis Troiano allegedly forged paperwork attempting to get Joseph credit for service she did not
complete,” said Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly. “This indictment sends a strong message
that NCDA will rigorously follow up on the satisfaction of plea conditions and take action
against those who would deceitfully violate the terms of those good faith agreements.”