Sunday, December 26, 2010

The indictments may keep coming for Pedro and Pedro G. Espada

Outgoing State Senator Pedro Espada (center right) and his son, Pedro G. Espada (behind him) were indicted last week.
Ward for News
Outgoing State Senator Pedro Espada (center right) and his son, Pedro G. Espada (behind him) were indicted last week.

The grand jury may not be finished just yet with state Sen. Pedro Espada.

The Espadas, dad Pedro and son Pedro G., were indicted last week, charged with tap dancing on the books at their Soundview Healthcare empire.

We now hear that Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, may be preparing a superceding indictment slamming them with income tax charges.

Last week's indictment charged them with stealing a half million dollars from the clinic chain for such personal goodies as $20,000 in sushi deliveries to the senator's home in Mamaroneck, outside his Bronx district.

That plus 49G from a Soundview subsidiary as a down payment on a $125,000 Bentley, 14G on sports events and Broadway shows, and even a pony and petting zoo (any bunnies?) for a family birthday.

As for the timing of the indictment, which had been rumored to hit sometime after February, some quarters believe Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo pushed to drop the hammer on the Espadas while he was still attorney general, and Pedro, defeated in the November elections, was still a state senator.

But there are those that say that U.S. Attorney Lynch does things her way, period.

Oh, and why not the Manhattan U.S. attorney handling the case?

We're told the case jurisdiction revolves around some checks being mailed out of Jericho, L.I., within the Eastern District.

But then again, as one cynic pondered, could it have been to avoid a Bronx-centric pro-defendant jury?


Amigo wanted

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. joking, "I have an opening for an amigo now."

The Rev created his fair share of tsuris in Albany by joining with amigos/banditos Pedro, Hiram Monserrate and Brooklyn's Carl Kruger to shake down/shake up Albany.

But even with all that, Diaz said he believes some good did come out of it "even though we never got the credit for what we did for the Hispanic community."

That includes the first Hispanic secretary of the Senate, Angelo Aponte; the chairmanships of the Housing, Transportation, Aging and Consumer Affairs Committees, and the first Latino majority leader.

But with Republicans regaining control of the Senate, probably thanks in part to Pedro's Albany hijinks - "All that is lost."

Board of Elections shakeup

The last of former Bronx Dem Party Chief Jose Rivera's patronage appointments are disappearing.

Latest to go is Anna Torres, Democratic co-deputy chief at the Bronx Board of Elections, who submitted her resignation last week.

Torres' hubby is ex-west Bronx Assemblyman and current Bronx County Clerk Luis Diaz.

New Bronx Dem Boss Carl Heastie is expected to announce her replacement Tuesday.

Previous Page 12 Next Page


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Associatedcontentnetwork.com Article directory free for publish your press release and articles !