This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/13/nyregion/dean-skelos-is-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-in-corruption-case.html
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Dean Skelos Is Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison in Corruption Case | Dean Skelos Is Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison in Corruption Case |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Dean G. Skelos, the once powerful Republican majority leader of the New York State Senate who was convicted with his son in December on federal corruption charges, was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday. | Dean G. Skelos, the once powerful Republican majority leader of the New York State Senate who was convicted with his son in December on federal corruption charges, was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday. |
| The sentencing of Mr. Skelos is the second instance in 10 days in which a former senior New York lawmaker was sent to prison for abusing his office. It concludes an extraordinary chapter during which two trials held a block apart at almost the same time last year exposed a culture of kickbacks, secret deals and nepotism in the State Capital in Albany. | The sentencing of Mr. Skelos is the second instance in 10 days in which a former senior New York lawmaker was sent to prison for abusing his office. It concludes an extraordinary chapter during which two trials held a block apart at almost the same time last year exposed a culture of kickbacks, secret deals and nepotism in the State Capital in Albany. |
| But while the crimes and 12-year prison term of Sheldon Silver, the former Democratic speaker of the State Assembly, exceeded that of Mr. Skelos and his son, Adam B. Skelos, the Skeloses’ trial stood out for its gritty, unvarnished look at the personal and political dealings of a family immersed in Albany’s back channels. | |
| The evidence against the Skeloses, who were convicted of bribery, extortion and conspiracy, was remarkable for both its brazenness and its familial motivation: The father seemed willing to do anything for his son. | The evidence against the Skeloses, who were convicted of bribery, extortion and conspiracy, was remarkable for both its brazenness and its familial motivation: The father seemed willing to do anything for his son. |
| Before he was sentenced, Dean Skelos asked the judge in the case, Kimba M. Wood of Federal District Court in Manhattan, to show mercy to his son. “I let things go off the rails, and for that I apologize to Adam,” Mr. Skelos said. “I love Adam and pray that we have better days together.” | Before he was sentenced, Dean Skelos asked the judge in the case, Kimba M. Wood of Federal District Court in Manhattan, to show mercy to his son. “I let things go off the rails, and for that I apologize to Adam,” Mr. Skelos said. “I love Adam and pray that we have better days together.” |
| The former senator also expressed remorse for his actions, saying that “somewhere along the way, my judgment became clouded.” | The former senator also expressed remorse for his actions, saying that “somewhere along the way, my judgment became clouded.” |
| Before she pronounced the prison terms, Judge Wood scolded the former senator for ignoring his “moral compass,” and violating his “unique position of power and trust.” | Before she pronounced the prison terms, Judge Wood scolded the former senator for ignoring his “moral compass,” and violating his “unique position of power and trust.” |
| “Your cynicism in abusing your power has been exposed in your own words,” the judge said, referring to wiretapped conversations that were played at trial. | “Your cynicism in abusing your power has been exposed in your own words,” the judge said, referring to wiretapped conversations that were played at trial. |
| Judge Wood also imposed a $500,000 fine — the amount sought by the government — on the former senator, and imposed a $334,120 forfeiture to be paid jointly by Adam and Dean Skelos. | Judge Wood also imposed a $500,000 fine — the amount sought by the government — on the former senator, and imposed a $334,120 forfeiture to be paid jointly by Adam and Dean Skelos. |
| She said she wanted the sentence to show that “public corruption will be punished.” The term, however, was less than half of what the government had been seeking. | She said she wanted the sentence to show that “public corruption will be punished.” The term, however, was less than half of what the government had been seeking. |
| Judge Wood sentenced Adam Skelos, 33, to six and a half years in prison. | Judge Wood sentenced Adam Skelos, 33, to six and a half years in prison. |
| At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the elder Mr. Skelos, 68, who spent three decades as a senator, used his position as majority leader to pressure a real estate developer, an environmental technology company and a medical malpractice insurer — firms that depended on his support as senator for legislation that benefited their interests — to provide Adam Skelos with consulting work, a direct payment of $20,000 and a no-show job. | At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the elder Mr. Skelos, 68, who spent three decades as a senator, used his position as majority leader to pressure a real estate developer, an environmental technology company and a medical malpractice insurer — firms that depended on his support as senator for legislation that benefited their interests — to provide Adam Skelos with consulting work, a direct payment of $20,000 and a no-show job. |
| The two men sought “to monetize Dean Skelos’s public position for Adam Skelos’s private gain,” the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a sentencing memorandum last month. | The two men sought “to monetize Dean Skelos’s public position for Adam Skelos’s private gain,” the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a sentencing memorandum last month. |
| In all, prosecutors said, the defendants sought more than $760,000 in extortion payments, bribes and gratuities, ultimately obtaining a total of more than $334,000 “to line their family’s pockets.” | In all, prosecutors said, the defendants sought more than $760,000 in extortion payments, bribes and gratuities, ultimately obtaining a total of more than $334,000 “to line their family’s pockets.” |
| Lawyers for the Skeloses had asked Judge Wood to spare them from prison. They asked that each man be sentenced to probation and be ordered to perform substantial amounts of community service. But on Thursday, G. Robert Gage Jr., one of the former senator’s lawyers, seemed to have softened his position, suggesting instead that his client receive something closer to the two-year sentence received by Bob McDonnell, the former governor of Virginia who was convicted of public corruption. | |
| Mr. Gage highlighted some of Mr. Skelos’s accomplishments in the Legislature, and contended that the underlying theme of the case was “this father-son emotional connection.” | Mr. Gage highlighted some of Mr. Skelos’s accomplishments in the Legislature, and contended that the underlying theme of the case was “this father-son emotional connection.” |
| “To his great credit as a person as well as a parent, Dean stuck by Adam,” Mr. Gage said. “Perhaps to a fault.” | “To his great credit as a person as well as a parent, Dean stuck by Adam,” Mr. Gage said. “Perhaps to a fault.” |
| Indeed, during the trial, witnesses told the jury that Adam Skelos essentially held a no-show job, and on the rare occasions when he did come to work, his behavior was troublesome. When a supervisor confronted him, Mr. Skelos threatened to “smash” his head, and said that men like him “couldn’t shine” Mr. Skelos’s shoes. | Indeed, during the trial, witnesses told the jury that Adam Skelos essentially held a no-show job, and on the rare occasions when he did come to work, his behavior was troublesome. When a supervisor confronted him, Mr. Skelos threatened to “smash” his head, and said that men like him “couldn’t shine” Mr. Skelos’s shoes. |
| And in a secretly recorded conversation that was played for the jury, Adam Skelos could be heard telling an executive of the environmental firm that was paying him as a consultant about how he concealed an extramarital affair from his wife. He said that he was going to get a puppy for his wife because “she’ll find it easier to say O.K.” on the occasions when he stayed in a hotel in New York City after work, rather than returning home to Long Island. | And in a secretly recorded conversation that was played for the jury, Adam Skelos could be heard telling an executive of the environmental firm that was paying him as a consultant about how he concealed an extramarital affair from his wife. He said that he was going to get a puppy for his wife because “she’ll find it easier to say O.K.” on the occasions when he stayed in a hotel in New York City after work, rather than returning home to Long Island. |
| “The things I do to stay out,” Adam Skelos said on the recording. He also said that he used Apple’s FaceTime to talk with his mistress because “FaceTime doesn’t show up on a phone bill.” | “The things I do to stay out,” Adam Skelos said on the recording. He also said that he used Apple’s FaceTime to talk with his mistress because “FaceTime doesn’t show up on a phone bill.” |
| Christopher P. Conniff, a lawyer for Adam Skelos, outlined some of his client’s underlying problems, including alcohol and drug dependency, and the toll that his conduct had taken: His wife has left him, and his family relationships have been strained. | Christopher P. Conniff, a lawyer for Adam Skelos, outlined some of his client’s underlying problems, including alcohol and drug dependency, and the toll that his conduct had taken: His wife has left him, and his family relationships have been strained. |
| “The devastation that has been caused in part by his immaturity,” Mr. Conniff said, “is probably going to be a greater harm to him than frankly any sentence.” | “The devastation that has been caused in part by his immaturity,” Mr. Conniff said, “is probably going to be a greater harm to him than frankly any sentence.” |
| When Adam Skelos addressed the court, he did the same as his father had done minutes before: ask for leniency for the other. | When Adam Skelos addressed the court, he did the same as his father had done minutes before: ask for leniency for the other. |
| “It was hard for me to sit through this case and come face-to-face with the person I was,” Mr. Skelos said. “I’ve had my struggles in life and now realize that I can’t use them as an excuse for my conduct.” | “It was hard for me to sit through this case and come face-to-face with the person I was,” Mr. Skelos said. “I’ve had my struggles in life and now realize that I can’t use them as an excuse for my conduct.” |
| His voice breaking at times, Mr. Skelos closed, in part, by asking Judge Wood to “show leniency to my dad.” | His voice breaking at times, Mr. Skelos closed, in part, by asking Judge Wood to “show leniency to my dad.” |
| Mr. Bharara’s office had sought stiff sentences, suggesting that an appropriate prison term for Dean Skelos would be about 12 to 15 years, and for Adam Skelos, about 10 to 12 years. | Mr. Bharara’s office had sought stiff sentences, suggesting that an appropriate prison term for Dean Skelos would be about 12 to 15 years, and for Adam Skelos, about 10 to 12 years. |
| The government also asked Judge Wood to impose a fine of more than $350,000 on Dean Skelos, noting that he had built a net worth of more than $2 million while in the Senate, and had also applied for a state pension of almost $96,000 a year. | The government also asked Judge Wood to impose a fine of more than $350,000 on Dean Skelos, noting that he had built a net worth of more than $2 million while in the Senate, and had also applied for a state pension of almost $96,000 a year. |
| “You can’t argue that you robbed the bank repeatedly over a course of years and you did it for your family,” a prosecutor, Jason A. Masimore, said on Thursday, adding that the evidence demonstrated that “Dean Skelos was strong-arming these victims and forcing them to pay.” | “You can’t argue that you robbed the bank repeatedly over a course of years and you did it for your family,” a prosecutor, Jason A. Masimore, said on Thursday, adding that the evidence demonstrated that “Dean Skelos was strong-arming these victims and forcing them to pay.” |
| Judge Wood imposed no fine on Adam Skelos, noting that he had no means to satisfy such a sanction. And while she seemed to take into account some of Dean Skelos’s accomplishments, the judge found few redemptive qualities in his son, citing his “bullying, your predilection for threatening serious physical harm.” | |
| “You appeared to have no moral compass,” Judge Wood said. “I think you did everything you could to monetize your father’s position.” | |
| She ordered Adam Skelos to enroll in an inpatient mental health program in prison, and recommended alcohol and drug treatment. | |
| Dean Skelos, who stepped down from his leadership position after his arrest last May, automatically lost his seat in the Legislature upon being convicted. | |
| Judge Wood did not set a date by which the two men had to surrender to prison authorities, saying she would first rule on a request by their lawyers that they be allowed to remain free pending their appeals. The parties are to submit written arguments on the issue. |