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Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Appeals Corruption Conviction Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Appeals Corruption Conviction
Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Appeals Corruption Conviction The former owner of a local bus repair and transportation company in Rockland who was sentenced to more than four years in prison on federal bribery and corruption charges is appealing his conviction. Richard Brega, who owned Brega D.O.T. Maintenance Corp. in Rockland County, was sentenced to 50 months in prison in December last year after he was found guilty by a federal jury in White Plains, following a three-week trial. Berga, 52, whose prison term is scheduled to end in 2022, is claiming that the jury verdicts were inconsistent, prompting him to ask for a reversal of his conviction and …

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by Zak Failla
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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 Northern Westchester Two Men Busted For $100,000 Schools Kickback Scheme In Northern Westchester
Two Men Busted For $100,000 Schools Kickback Scheme In Northern 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
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Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Sentenced For Bribery, Theft, Fraud Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Sentenced For Bribery, Theft, Fraud
Ex-Rockland Bus Company Magnate Sentenced For Bribery, Theft, Fraud The former owner of a local bus repair and transportation company has been sentenced to time in prison for fraud, bribery and theft. Richard Brega, who owned Brega D.O.T. Maintenance Corp. in Rockland County, has been sentenced to 50 months in prison after he was found guilty by a federal jury in White Plains, following a three-week trial. 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. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that Brega, 51…

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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 Northern Westchester Sentenced For Taking $300K In Bribes Ex-Cuomo Aide From Northern Westchester Sentenced For Taking $300K In Bribes
Ex-Cuomo Aide From Northern 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
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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
Politics
Deadlocked Jury Of Westchester Resident, Ex-Cuomo Aide Back After Snow Day Deadlocked Jury Of Westchester Resident, Ex-Cuomo Aide Back After Snow Day
Deadlocked Jury Of Westchester Resident, Ex-Cuomo Aide Back After Snow Day A seemingly deadlocked and frustrated jury was back at it on Thursday, deliberating over the fate of northern Westchester resident and former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo Joseph Percoco after getting a day off due to the winter storm. Now in its seventh week, the jury is reporting growing increasingly frustrated, as they are unable to reach a consensus regarding Percoco, a South Salem resident who is on trial for allegedly accepting more than $300,000 in bribes to benefit Competitive Power Ventures, an energy company that sought to build the power plant in the Hudson Valley, and COR Develop…

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by Zak Failla