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Posted by
Dave
on Thu Oct 20 16:51:29 2016
fiogf49gjkf0d By: AP
Central Islip, NY - The highest elected official in a large county outside New York City and a town supervisor conspired to receive bribes and kickbacks from a businessman in exchange for helping him obtain $20 million in loan guarantees, federal prosecutors on Long Island said Thursday.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, along with Mangano's wife Linda, were named in a 13-count indictment alleging extortion, bribery, fraud and obstruction charges.
The three were expected to be arraigned later Thursday in U.S. District Court in Central Islip. The charges were the latest in a series of recent scandals involving public officials on Long Island.
Mangano's attorney did not return calls for comment Thursday; Venditto's attorney declined to comment. It wasn't immediately known who was representing Linda Mangano.
Linda Mangano is charged with accepting a $450,000 no-show job at the businessman's restaurant, and lying to federal investigators. Edward Mangano and his wife also are accused of accepting vacations to Florida and the Caribbean, as well as other gifts including a $7,300 watch, two chairs valued at nearly $7,000, and $3,700 in hardwood flooring for the couple's Bethpage, New York, bedroom.
Prosecutors did not publicly identify the businessman. But Harendra Singh, the former owner of a Bethpage restaurant and other facilities on Long Island, is awaiting trial on federal bribery charges involving Oyster Bay officials. Singh's attorney did not immediately comment.
U.S. Attorney Robert Capers announced the arrests and charges at a press conference at the Long Island courthouse.
"Those involved in this scheme allegedly lied about their conduct to investigators, fanning the flames of a fire that became too large to contain. Public corruption wastes countless tax dollars every year, threatens the credibility of governmental institutions, and opens the door for further criminal activity," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
Mangano, 54, a two-term Republican who touts his tax-cutting policies, was first elected in 2009. Venditto, 67, also a Republican, was elected supervisor of Oyster Bay — a sprawling township that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Long Island Sound — in 1998.
In other corruption cases, former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son were convicted last year of extortion, conspiracy and bribery. Former Suffolk Conservative Party head Ed Walsh was convicted in March of wire fraud and theft of government services charges and former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke is awaiting sentencing on charges he beat a suspect in a precinct interview room after the man stole various items from Burke's SUV.
As chief executive of the county of 1.3 million people, Mangano has control over a $2.9 billion budget, 7,250 employees, public works, social services and, most notably, the police.
He has won praise for his handling of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which caused tremendous destruction on Long Island's southern coast. He also is overseeing the renovation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum following last year's move by the New York Islanders hockey team to Brooklyn.
The wealthy county just east of New York City has been under a state-imposed financial watchdog since 1999.
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