Contractor Accused Of Falsifying Pyrrhus Concer House Bid In Southampton Village

A West Babylon contractor faces a felony criminal charge after being accused of falsifying information in a bid to restore the Pyrrhus Concer house in Southampton Village, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.

William Proefriedt, 57, of West Babylon entered the lowest bid, $437,600, in May 2018, to reconstruct the historic house for the Village of Southampton.

Court documents show he also signed a sworn written statement that members of his work crew were certified to complete electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning work, as required by the plans. But, according to court documents, Mr. Proefriedt did not have properly licensed and certified plumbers or electricians to complete the project.

On November 13, Mr. Proefriedt surrendered to prosecutors from Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini’s office and was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument, a felony. He was arraigned in Suffolk County District Court on Thursday morning, January 24, and faces a maximum sentence of 16 months to four years in prison if convicted. He is due back in court on March 20.

Village officials said they did not seek charges against Mr. Proefriedt but instead chose not to do business with him after he failed to provide proof that he had certified electricians and plumbers to do the required work.

Court documents show that Suffolk County Police Detective Nicholas Aspromgos filed the complaint against Mr. Proefriedt. When asked to speak with Det. Aspromgos about what led to Mr. Proefriedt’s arrest, a public information officer with the Suffolk County Police Department said all questions needed to be directed to the DA’s office since Mr. Proefriedt had been indicted. Calls to the DA’s office seeking specifics were not immediately returned.

Mr. Proefriedt’s attorney, Ray Perini of Islandia-based Perini & Hoerger, disputed the charges, claiming that his client had plumbers and electricians who were licensed and able to complete the project, and that his client never misled village officials when he submitted the bid.

In fact, Mr. Perini, noting that his client pleaded not guilty, said his firm is in possession of the licenses of those workers, and he does not see the case going very far. “I fully expect this matter to be dismissed, or he will be fully acquitted,” Mr. Perini said on Thursday.

The state’s Wicks Law requires that municipalities contract out electric, plumbing and HVAC work separately if the cost of a project is more than $500,000. Mr. Proefriedt’s bid was under $500,000; therefore, he included in his single bid that his company would provide certified plumbers and electricians. All other bids included separate bids for electric, plumbing and HVAC work.

Southampton Village officials appropriated $500,000 for the Pyrrhus Concer house work. All bids came in well over the $500,000 appropriation—with the exception of Mr. Proefriedt’s bid of $437,600.

Now, plans to reconstruct the 16-foot-by-30-foot home are on hold, according to Southampton Village Administrator Stephen Funsch, and officials are looking at ways to modify the plans so that the bids come in at or below the $500,000 that is set aside for the project.

Mr. Concer was an African-American whaler in the 19th century and was part of a crew that saved stranded Japanese sailors at one time. He became one of the first Americans, and, quite possibly, the first person of color to visit Japan. Mr. Concer also operated a ferry service on Lake Agawam. He had been sold into slavery and later gained his freedom, making his home in Southampton.

His house was located on Pond Lane, on the northwestern side of Lake Agawam.

In 2013, David and Sylvia Hermer purchased the 0.82-acre property for $2.75 million. With the hope of building a new home, the couple applied to have the home demolished, and, after months of debate, the Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation denied the application.

Mr. and Ms. Hermer then filed a $10 million notice of claim, charging that their rights as property owners were being denied. Eventually, the homeowners and the village reached an agreement: The municipality was given permission to salvage artifacts and building materials, and the home was demolished. Later, the couple put the property back on the market.

Two months later, the Southampton Town Board agreed to purchase and preserve the vacant property for $4.3 million, using Community Preservation Fund revenues, and the village prepared to restore the historic house.

In 2016, a museum was planned for the property that included a visitor center, amphitheater, walkways and a path of waterfalls and ponds, but the project became pricey and village officials backed away from the deal. Village officials now plan to rebuild the house using the majority of the original frame that was salvaged from the property, but there are no immediate plans for its use.