In Albany’s second major corruption case this week, a New York State lawmaker was arrested on Thursday on federal charges of accepting bribes and conspiring to defraud the state through a scheme that involved helping developers open an adult day care center. A second state lawmaker resigned as a result of the same scheme.
Assemblyman Eric A. Stevenson, a Democrat who represents some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods in the South Bronx, was accused of taking money to help several developers obtain building certificates, expedite construction work and recruit seniors, according to a criminal complaint filed by the United States attorney in Manhattan.
One other lawmaker is also implicated in wrongdoing, the complaint said. That lawmaker is referred to only as Assemblyman-1 since he entered into a non-prosecution deal for assisting the authorities in the investigation, which included an agreement to resign once the charges against Mr. Stevenson were unveiled.
That lawmaker was identified by a law enforcement official as Nelson L. Castro, 41, another Democrat from the Bronx.
Mr. Stevenson was also accused of taking $5,000 to propose a moratorium on the construction of new adult day care centers in New York City, which would have given the developers he assisted a competitive advantage and greater profitability, according to the complaint.
The charges against Mr. Stevenson come two days after a top lawmaker in Albany, Malcolm A. Smith was charged in a sprawling and complex bribery and corruption scheme that involved a plot to buy a spot on the ballot in this year’s race for mayor of New York City. A city councilman, Daniel J. Halloran III, along with the leaders of the Republican Party in the Bronx and Queens, were also charged in that case.
Another unnamed confidential witness in the case was a candidate who ran for a seat in the Assembly but lost and worked with two developers, Igor Beyansky and Rostislav Beleansky, who were both charged in the conspiracy, along with two other men, David Binman and Igor Tsimerman.
The United States attorney, Preet Bharara, was scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday to discuss the charges against Mr. Stevenson and the others.
With dozens of lawmakers in Albany arrested or charged with crimes in recent years, Mr. Stevenson was aware of the dangers while still brazenly soliciting bribes, according to the complaint.
In one conversation with the confidential witness, according to the complaint, Mr. Stevenson noted the recent arrests of other high-profile politicians and said, “Be careful of those things man, the recorders and all those things.”
Mr. Stevenson worked for the New York City Council in 2008 and 2009, and possibly longer, during Christine C. Quinn’s tenure as speaker, records show. A spokesman for Ms. Quinn, who is now a leading candidate for mayor, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The chief of staff for Mr. Castro would not confirm or deny that Mr. Castro was the assemblyman who had been cooperating with prosecutors. But the aide, Angelica Pascacio, said, “We’re going to be sending a statement by the end of the day.”
Assemblyman Eric A. Stevenson, a Democrat who represents some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods in the South Bronx, was accused of taking money to help several developers obtain building certificates, expedite construction work and recruit seniors, according to a criminal complaint filed by the United States attorney in Manhattan.
One other lawmaker is also implicated in wrongdoing, the complaint said. That lawmaker is referred to only as Assemblyman-1 since he entered into a non-prosecution deal for assisting the authorities in the investigation, which included an agreement to resign once the charges against Mr. Stevenson were unveiled.
That lawmaker was identified by a law enforcement official as Nelson L. Castro, 41, another Democrat from the Bronx.
Mr. Stevenson was also accused of taking $5,000 to propose a moratorium on the construction of new adult day care centers in New York City, which would have given the developers he assisted a competitive advantage and greater profitability, according to the complaint.
The charges against Mr. Stevenson come two days after a top lawmaker in Albany, Malcolm A. Smith was charged in a sprawling and complex bribery and corruption scheme that involved a plot to buy a spot on the ballot in this year’s race for mayor of New York City. A city councilman, Daniel J. Halloran III, along with the leaders of the Republican Party in the Bronx and Queens, were also charged in that case.
Another unnamed confidential witness in the case was a candidate who ran for a seat in the Assembly but lost and worked with two developers, Igor Beyansky and Rostislav Beleansky, who were both charged in the conspiracy, along with two other men, David Binman and Igor Tsimerman.
The United States attorney, Preet Bharara, was scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday to discuss the charges against Mr. Stevenson and the others.
With dozens of lawmakers in Albany arrested or charged with crimes in recent years, Mr. Stevenson was aware of the dangers while still brazenly soliciting bribes, according to the complaint.
In one conversation with the confidential witness, according to the complaint, Mr. Stevenson noted the recent arrests of other high-profile politicians and said, “Be careful of those things man, the recorders and all those things.”
Mr. Stevenson worked for the New York City Council in 2008 and 2009, and possibly longer, during Christine C. Quinn’s tenure as speaker, records show. A spokesman for Ms. Quinn, who is now a leading candidate for mayor, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The chief of staff for Mr. Castro would not confirm or deny that Mr. Castro was the assemblyman who had been cooperating with prosecutors. But the aide, Angelica Pascacio, said, “We’re going to be sending a statement by the end of the day.”