The New York Post - December 6, 2010
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Former state legislator Vincent Leibel pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice and tax evasion. The ex-state senator admitted in court that he tried to influence a grand jury investigating corruption in Putnam County. He also admitted filing false tax returns for 2003 through 2006, failing to report a total of $43,000. He said “guilty, your honor” to each of the two counts. "I knew there was a pending federal investigation, and I told the attorneys to not tell federal agents that I was receiving cash payments from them," Leiabell said. "I told one attorney to say that the cash withdrawals were to take care of his aging mother." Sentencing was scheduled for March 7, 2011. Prosecutors said based on federal guidelines, Leibell’s sentence would be between 18 and 24 months. The 64-year-old Leibell had spent 28 years in the Senate and Assembly before resigning last week with a one-sentence letter that gave no reason for leaving. He had a month left in his term. Last month he was elected Putnam county executive but he will not take office. Leibell was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond. The AP and staff writer Rebecca Harshbarger contibuted to this story.
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Department of Justice - Press ReleaseFor Immediate Release
December 6, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of New York
Contact: (212) 637-2600
Former New York State Senator and Putnam County Executive-Elect Pleads Guilty in White Plains Federal Court to Obstruction of Justice and Tax Charges
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and CHARLES R. PINE, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), Criminal Investigation Division, announced that VINCENT L. LEIBELL, III, pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to obstructing a federal grand jury that was investigating whether he had extorted cash payments from lawyers working in Putnam County and to failing to report on his income tax returns tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments he had received from those lawyers. Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "This is a sad day for the citizens of Putnam County and a scene that has become all too familiar in New York state. Vincent Leibell betrayed the trust of his constituents and now stands convicted of two federal felonies. Leibell has only himself to blame for the fact that, after 28 years in public office, this conviction will be the capstone to that career. He is the latest in a long line of public officials who have placed themselves above the law and have been brought before the bar of justice in the Southern District of New York. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will fight corruption wherever we find it and prosecute those who abuse the public trust wherever we find them." FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK said: "It is inexcusable when public officials abuse the trust that the public has placed in them to make our communities better. Mr. Leibell made it very clear that he did not have the public’s best interest in mind when he repeatedly took part in the activities that led to today’s charges. The FBI remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice all corrupt public officials, whose actions tarnish their offices and undermine public confidence." IRS Special Agent-in-Charge CHARLES R. PINE stated: "Receiving corrupt payments in the form of cash and then getting others to lie about and cover up the true reasons they were obtaining large sums of cash is a classic technique that tax evaders use to cover up criminal activity. What is truly astonishing is that an elected official who has been in politics for many years, and has known about other elected officials arrested and convicted for financial related crimes, has not learned the lesson that crime does not pay."
According to the Information filed in White Plains federal court and statements made during the plea proceeding:
Since April 2010, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York, the FBI, and the IRS had been investigating allegations that, as a New York state senator, LEIBELL had unlawfully extorted cash payments from attorneys doing business in Putnam County under color of official right. The investigation focused on whether LEIBELL had demanded and received cash payments from an attorney, described in the Information as Attorney #1, who provided legal services to a Putnam County based not-for-profit organization (the "NFP") that received millions of dollars in New York state senate member item grants that LEIBELL sponsored as a state senator. According to the Information, the investigation focused on whether LEIBELL had threatened to cause the NFP to refuse to pay the invoices ATTORNEY #1 submitted to the NFP for legal services that ATTORNEY #1 had rendered to the NFP unless ATTORNEY #1 agreed to give half of the invoiced amount of money to LEIBELL in cash. LEIBELL became aware of the investigation in late April 2010 when FBI and IRS agents began approaching, subpoenaing, and interviewing witnesses about the allegations. After LEIBELL learned about the investigation, he began meeting with ATTORNEY #1 to discuss what ATTORNEY #1 should say when approached by federal agents. On June 6, 2010, at LEIBELL’s request, ATTORNEY #1 met with LEIBELL on a street in Carmel, New York, to discuss the pending federal investigation. During the June 6, 2010 meeting, LEIBELL repeatedly directed ATTORNEY #1 to lie to federal investigators about the cash payments ATTORNEY #1 had previously made to LEIBELL. LEIBELL instructed ATTORNEY #1 to falsely say: (1) that he had never made cash payments to LEIBELL; (2) that when investigators question him about cash withdrawals ATTORNEY #1 made from his bank account to pay LEIBELL, ATTORNEY #1 should falsely say that he withdrew the money to have around in case of a national or family emergency and that he used the money for living expenses, including caring for his elderly mother. During the meeting, LEIBELL repeatedly urged ATTORNEY #1 to maintain their false denials: "You and I say there was never any cash relationship. Period... Since you and I are in agreement, it didn’t happen... All I know is, as long as you and I are consistent, I’m fine, you’re fine. There was never any cash between you and I, Okay?"
During the plea allocution, LEIBELL also admitted to filing false federal income tax returns with the IRS for the tax years 2003 through 2006. LEIBELL acknowledged that he failed to report at least $43,000 in cash he received during these years from ATTORNEY #1 and ATTORNEY #2, also mentioned in the Information, both of whom did business in or for Putnam County. LEIBELL also acknowledged that he failed to advise the accountant preparing his income tax returns that he had received the cash payments. LEIBELL, who resigned his New York state senate seat effective on December 3, 2010, is scheduled to be sworn in as Putnam County Executive on January 1, 2011. LEIBELL pled guilty today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge GEORGE A. YANTHIS to a two-count Information charging him with actively obstructing a pending Southern District of New York grand jury investigation involving special agents of the FBI and the IRS. The grand jury was investigating allegations of extortion by public officials in Putnam County and LEIBELL’s failure to report all his income. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge WARREN W. EGINTON and sentencing has been set for March 7, 2011. The maximum sentence of imprisonment for the crimes to which LEIBELL pled guilty today is 13 years. Mr. BHARARA praised the work of the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. He added that the investigation is ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys PERRY A. CARBONE and JASON P.W. HALPERIN are in charge of the prosecution.
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and CHARLES R. PINE, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), Criminal Investigation Division, announced that VINCENT L. LEIBELL, III, pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to obstructing a federal grand jury that was investigating whether he had extorted cash payments from lawyers working in Putnam County and to failing to report on his income tax returns tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments he had received from those lawyers. Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "This is a sad day for the citizens of Putnam County and a scene that has become all too familiar in New York state. Vincent Leibell betrayed the trust of his constituents and now stands convicted of two federal felonies. Leibell has only himself to blame for the fact that, after 28 years in public office, this conviction will be the capstone to that career. He is the latest in a long line of public officials who have placed themselves above the law and have been brought before the bar of justice in the Southern District of New York. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will fight corruption wherever we find it and prosecute those who abuse the public trust wherever we find them." FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK said: "It is inexcusable when public officials abuse the trust that the public has placed in them to make our communities better. Mr. Leibell made it very clear that he did not have the public’s best interest in mind when he repeatedly took part in the activities that led to today’s charges. The FBI remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice all corrupt public officials, whose actions tarnish their offices and undermine public confidence." IRS Special Agent-in-Charge CHARLES R. PINE stated: "Receiving corrupt payments in the form of cash and then getting others to lie about and cover up the true reasons they were obtaining large sums of cash is a classic technique that tax evaders use to cover up criminal activity. What is truly astonishing is that an elected official who has been in politics for many years, and has known about other elected officials arrested and convicted for financial related crimes, has not learned the lesson that crime does not pay."
According to the Information filed in White Plains federal court and statements made during the plea proceeding:
Since April 2010, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York, the FBI, and the IRS had been investigating allegations that, as a New York state senator, LEIBELL had unlawfully extorted cash payments from attorneys doing business in Putnam County under color of official right. The investigation focused on whether LEIBELL had demanded and received cash payments from an attorney, described in the Information as Attorney #1, who provided legal services to a Putnam County based not-for-profit organization (the "NFP") that received millions of dollars in New York state senate member item grants that LEIBELL sponsored as a state senator. According to the Information, the investigation focused on whether LEIBELL had threatened to cause the NFP to refuse to pay the invoices ATTORNEY #1 submitted to the NFP for legal services that ATTORNEY #1 had rendered to the NFP unless ATTORNEY #1 agreed to give half of the invoiced amount of money to LEIBELL in cash. LEIBELL became aware of the investigation in late April 2010 when FBI and IRS agents began approaching, subpoenaing, and interviewing witnesses about the allegations. After LEIBELL learned about the investigation, he began meeting with ATTORNEY #1 to discuss what ATTORNEY #1 should say when approached by federal agents. On June 6, 2010, at LEIBELL’s request, ATTORNEY #1 met with LEIBELL on a street in Carmel, New York, to discuss the pending federal investigation. During the June 6, 2010 meeting, LEIBELL repeatedly directed ATTORNEY #1 to lie to federal investigators about the cash payments ATTORNEY #1 had previously made to LEIBELL. LEIBELL instructed ATTORNEY #1 to falsely say: (1) that he had never made cash payments to LEIBELL; (2) that when investigators question him about cash withdrawals ATTORNEY #1 made from his bank account to pay LEIBELL, ATTORNEY #1 should falsely say that he withdrew the money to have around in case of a national or family emergency and that he used the money for living expenses, including caring for his elderly mother. During the meeting, LEIBELL repeatedly urged ATTORNEY #1 to maintain their false denials: "You and I say there was never any cash relationship. Period... Since you and I are in agreement, it didn’t happen... All I know is, as long as you and I are consistent, I’m fine, you’re fine. There was never any cash between you and I, Okay?"
During the plea allocution, LEIBELL also admitted to filing false federal income tax returns with the IRS for the tax years 2003 through 2006. LEIBELL acknowledged that he failed to report at least $43,000 in cash he received during these years from ATTORNEY #1 and ATTORNEY #2, also mentioned in the Information, both of whom did business in or for Putnam County. LEIBELL also acknowledged that he failed to advise the accountant preparing his income tax returns that he had received the cash payments. LEIBELL, who resigned his New York state senate seat effective on December 3, 2010, is scheduled to be sworn in as Putnam County Executive on January 1, 2011. LEIBELL pled guilty today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge GEORGE A. YANTHIS to a two-count Information charging him with actively obstructing a pending Southern District of New York grand jury investigation involving special agents of the FBI and the IRS. The grand jury was investigating allegations of extortion by public officials in Putnam County and LEIBELL’s failure to report all his income. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge WARREN W. EGINTON and sentencing has been set for March 7, 2011. The maximum sentence of imprisonment for the crimes to which LEIBELL pled guilty today is 13 years. Mr. BHARARA praised the work of the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. He added that the investigation is ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys PERRY A. CARBONE and JASON P.W. HALPERIN are in charge of the prosecution.
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8 comments:
Merry Christmas to all the corrupt lawyers!!
Ho, Ho, Ho, you whores.
This snake was known as the go to guy in Albany. Everyone knew he was a fixer, it was common knowledge. Why don't they go after the big snakes and give honest atty's a break.
I never realized exactly how bad Westchester was until I read all the stuff on this site. My apologies to Brooklyn.
Throw the corrupt bums in jail!!!!!
If you really want to know how corrupt Leibell is, get all his Westchester Surrogate Court cases. Read: JACKPOT OF CORRUPTION, PAYOFFS AND KICKBACKS !
Why would any officer of the court be worried?
In 2006 the then Special Referee, James A. Montagnino said in a front page article in the New York Law Journal (where he contacted the reporter to give him the information) that he and the Administrative Judge Francis Nicolai were engaged in case fixing, and absolutely nothing was ever done about that.
Call me naive, but when an officer of the court tells a legal publication which then puts the story on it's front page, (and which I assume is highly regarded publication) that he and the Administrative Judge were fixing cases, that someone, anyone, would take some action.
James Montagnino didn't just say this just once publicly, but has said it numerous times, and nothing was ever done.
Either no one reads the New York Law Journal, or case fixing is how business is conducted in the Courts, and neither the New York State Attorney General, the Chief Administrative Judge, or anyone in the Department of Justice sees that this is a problem.
Apparently rampant corruption does not even make a blip on the radar of the DOJ or anyone else in charge of the Courts. But let's give those Judges a raise anyway. Case fixing must make them have to work harder, so maybe they deserve it.
To: 8:21
And who might be the Judge in charge of the Surrogate's Court?
While the FBI and US Attorney was working on this case, 10 more judge, lawyers or attorneys were getting away the similar crimes. Just a fraction of the crimes are ever prosecuted.
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