IRA BERNSTEIN SENTENCED FOR TAMPERING WITH PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

NEW CITY, N.Y. – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced that Ira Bernstein, 51, of Montebello, New York, was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison before the Honorable Robert Prisco in Rockland County Court for Tampering with Physical Evidence.

Ira Bernstein pled guilty to Tampering with Physical Evidence on Aug. 25, 2025, and was previously convicted of Conspiracy in the Second Degree in January 2017.

Between August 4, 2022 and September 21, 2022, Bernstein, believing that an audio recording of a conversation between him and another individual was about to be produced or used in an official proceeding or a prospective official proceeding, and intending to prevent such production and use, Bernstein suppressed the recording by an act of concealment, alteration and destruction, or by employing deception. The audio recording captured a solicitation to have his ex-wife, Susan Bernstein, killed.

“It’s our sincere hope that this sentence sends a message loud and clear throughout this county and this state that domestic violence in any form, physical, psychological, legal, or otherwise, will not be tolerated,” said District Attorney Walsh. “It must be stopped and we are glad that the defendant Ira Bernstein was held accountable today for his actions.”

The investigation was conducted by the Town of Ramapo Police Department with assistance from Rockland County District Attorney’s Office detectives.

The case was prosecuted by Executive Assistant District Attorney Kristin Tirino, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Dominic Crispino, and Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan.

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