Assemblyman Nojay Dies in Apparent Suicide

A state Assemblyman from the Rochester area has died as the result of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

BILL NOJAY [New York State Assembly photo][/caption]

Authorities say Bill Nojay was found dead in a Rochester cemetery Friday morning.

The 59-year-old Nojay, who lived in Pittsford, represented the 133rd Assembly District, which includes Livingston and parts of Steuben and Monroe counties.

Nojay, a Republican, was an outspoken member of the Assembly. He was first elected nearly four years ago.

Rochester police said officers were sent to Riverside Cemetery shortly before 9:30 a.m. to check on the welfare of a man. Authorities say an officer witnessed the suicide.

The New York Daily News reported Nojay had been expected to turn himself in Friday morning in connection with fraud charges.

According to the Daily News, a dentist from Cambodia had claimed Nojay and three other people had convinced her to invest $1 million in a company that never opened.

According to his Assembly biography, Nojay was a Rochester native. He and his wife, Debra, had three children.

New York State Republican chairman Ed Cox issued a statement noting Nojay was "never afraid to stand up and fight" for the ideals of "individual liberty and limited government."

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