Putnam County, N.Y., executive-elect Vincent Leibell 3rd pleaded guilty Monday to obstruction of justice and tax evasion. It was unclear Monday who will run the county beginning on Jan. 1 when the long-time state politician would have taken office.
Leibell, a Republican, last week resigned from the state Senate where he had served since 1995. He had also served as an Assemblyman from 1983 to 1994.
"Vincent Leibell betrayed the trust of his constituents and now stands convicted of two federal felonies," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a release. "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."
The lawmaker required two attorneys and a law firm, which did business with the county and a nonprofit he controlled, to make cash payments to him, which he did not report as income, according to a complaint filed by the United States Attorney Southern District.
Leibell received $43,000 in cash from the arrangement from 2003 to 2006. He became chairman of the senate Committee on Corporations, Commissions, and Authorities during this period.
The senator set up the nonprofit organization in 1999 to develop senior housing and subsequently sponsored millions of dollars of member-item grants to the organization. One of the lawyers who billed the nonprofit was told he had to pay Leibell cash to receive payment for services, according to the complaint.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service investigated Leibell earlier this year in connection with a federal grand jury proceeding over bribery allegations. He was recorded telling one of the attorneys to lie to federal investigators about the cash payments in June, according to the complaint.
The felonies carry a maximum sentence of 13 years.
