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New Rochelle Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds New Rochelle Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds
New Rochelle Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds Seven Westchester residents are among 12 alleged members of the Gambino Crime Family facing charges for a host of crimes that includes racketeering conspiracy, bribery, loansharking, fraud, obstruction of justice and other offenses. Federal officials charged Andrew Campos, an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra; James Ciaccia, George Campos, Vincent Fiore, and Richard Martino, alleged Gambino family soldiers; and Renato Barca, Jr., Benito DiZenzo, Mark Kocaj, Frank Tarul, and Michael Tarul, alleged Gambino family associates for alleged crimes dating back t…

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by Zak Failla
News
Ex-Westchester Construction Manager Admits To $35OK Bribery Scheme Ex-Westchester Construction Manager Admits To $35OK Bribery Scheme
Ex-Westchester Construction Manager Admits To $35OK Bribery Scheme A former construction manager from Westchester who worked for a global financial firm admitted to evading taxes on more than $350,000 in bribes that he received from sub-contractors over the course of several years. Michael Campana, 33, of Tuckahoe, pleaded guilty to a single count of tax evasion this week, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced, in connection to a bribery scheme he used to pay for personal expenses. Between 2013 and 2017, Campana was a construction manager for a global financial firm engaged in various building projects in New York City and elsewhere. He and others p…

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by Zak Failla
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Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam
Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam Twenty-seven people, including members of law enforcement, were arrested for their roles in a multimillion-dollar scheme to commit bribery and a no-fault insurance scam. The multi-state jurisdictional investigation that originated in Westchester County led to the arrests, 23 of whom were taken into custody in New York and New Jersey on Thursday, Nov. 7, with other suspects arrested in North Carolina, and Florida. Among those arrested were five 911 operators and an NYPD police officer. “Corruption, in all forms, is intolerable within the NYPD and we continue to work with our law enforcemen…

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by Zak Failla
News
Labor Union President From Area Demanded, Accepted Bribes, Feds Say Labor Union President From Area Demanded, Accepted Bribes, Feds Say
Labor Union President From Area Demanded, Accepted Bribes, Feds Say A Fairfield County resident who serves as the president of the local International Longshoremen’s Association has been charged by federal prosecutors with demanding and accepting bribes. Glenn Blicht, 57, of Wilton, was arrested Friday, July 26 for honest services fraud and a violation of the Taft-Hartley Act for demanding and accepting at least $150,000 in bribe payments from an employer. The honest services fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He was also charged with one count of demanding or receiving prohibited payments as a labor union official, which carries…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Trio Indicted For World Trade Center 'Pay-To-Play' Bribery Scheme, State Attorney General Says Trio Indicted For World Trade Center 'Pay-To-Play' Bribery Scheme, State Attorney General Says
Trio Indicted For World Trade Center 'Pay-To-Play' Bribery Scheme, State Attorney General Says New York Attorney General Letitia James charged three men involved in rebuilding the World Trade Center alleging they engaged in a “pay-to-play" bribery scheme. “These individuals were trusted with rebuilding the site of the worst terror attack in American history, but instead, allegedly squandered public funds to line their own pockets,” said James in the May 29 announcement. The individuals charged are James Luckie, 58, of Setauket in Suffolk County; and Michael Garrison, 59, of Stony Point in Rockland County; and Paul Angerame, 59, of Manhattan. They were charged in a scheme that i…

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by Donna Christopher
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Two Men Busted For $100,000 Schools Kickback Scheme In Westchester Two Men Busted For $100,000 Schools Kickback Scheme In Westchester
Two Men Busted For $100,000 Schools Kickback Scheme In Westchester A pair of men from Westchester are facing charges for their roles in an alleged $100,000 kickback scheme to defraud the Chappaqua School District in New Castle. Cortlandt Manor resident Jorge Barreiros and Yonkers resident Ricardo Jimenez surrendered themselves into the custody of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and were arrested on Tuesday after being implicated in the scheme. The felony complaint alleges that the two men ““engaged in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud” the Chappaqua Central School District,” Westchester Co…

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by Zak Failla
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Former Union VP From Area Faces Bribery Charge, U.S. Attorney Says Former Union VP From Area Faces Bribery Charge, U.S. Attorney Says
Former Union VP From Area Faces Bribery Charge, U.S. Attorney Says A former vice president of a teamsters labor union in the Hudson Valley is facing bribery charges for allegedly using his influence soliciting tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments. Newburgh resident John Ulrich the former vice president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 812 allegedly solicited the bribes in exchange for allowing a third-party continue to provide the union health care benefits. The indictment unsealed on Thursday alleges that in 2013, while he was facing financial hardships, Ulrich solicited bribe payments of $5,000 per quarter in exchange for usi…

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by Zak Failla
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Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Has Prison Surrender Date Postponed Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Has Prison Surrender Date Postponed
Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Has Prison Surrender Date Postponed A former top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not be reporting to jail on March 1 as he continues to fight his conviction on corruption charges. Joseph Percoco, a South Salem resident, was convicted of accepting $300,000 in bribes from an energy company last year and was sentenced to six years in prison. He was scheduled to report to prison on March 1, but a court has ruled that he can stay a free man as he continues to appeal the conviction. Percoco was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of solicitation of bribes or gratuities…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former New York State Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been sentenced for corruption charges. In Manhattan federal court, Dean Skelos was sentenced to 51 months in prison, while the younger Skelos got four years behind bars after being convicted twice of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, and three counts of soliciting and receiving bribes.   In addition to the prison time, Dean Skelos was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and sentenced …

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by Zak Failla
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Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Sentenced For Taking $300K In Bribes Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Sentenced For Taking $300K In Bribes
Ex-Cuomo Aide From Westchester Sentenced For Taking $300K In Bribes A former top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who lives in Northern Westchester and was convicted of accepting $300,000 in bribes from an energy company and developer has been sentenced. Joseph Percoco, a South Salem resident, was sentenced to six years in prison in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. The 49-year-old Percoco has been ordered to surrender himself into custody on Dec. 28, after the holidays.  At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said Percoco was motivated by "greed and arrogance."  Along with the prison time, Percoco also received…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Guilty, again. Former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been convicted on corruption charges in federal court. The two had previously been found guilty of the same offenses by a jury in December 2015, but their convictions were overturned by a U.S. Court of Appeals." United States Attorney Robert Khuzami announced Tuesday, July 17 that the Skelos’ have been found guilty of bribery, extortion and honest services fraud charges following a five-week trial in court. “For the second time, Dean Skelos repeatedly abused his official position to…

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by Zak Failla
News
Bus Company Owner Found Guilty Of Fraud, Bribery, Theft In Westchester Bus Company Owner Found Guilty Of Fraud, Bribery, Theft In Westchester
Bus Company Owner Found Guilty Of Fraud, Bribery, Theft In Westchester The 50-year-old owner of an area bus repair and transportation company is now awaiting sentencing for fraud, bribery and theft. Richard Brega, the former owner of Brega D.O.T. Maintenance Corp. in Rockland County, was found guilty by a federal jury in White Plains, according to Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The convictions were for Brega’s billing the Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) for maintenance of school buses that were never performed, and bribery of a Rockland BOCES official.  The convictions resulted …

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by Jon Craig