D’Amato Brother Guilty of Mail Fraud

The brother of Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato (R-N.Y.) was convicted Friday of accepting $32,500 from a defense contractor in exchange for agreeing to lobby the senator for contract awards.

Armand D’Amato, 47, of Island Park, was found guilty of seven counts of a 24-count mail fraud indictment and acquitted of 17 other charges.

District Judge Jacob Mishler set Aug. 6 for sentencing. D’Amato could receive up to five years in prison and be fined $250,000 on each count.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m absolutely upset about it,” D’Amato said after the verdict, adding that he would appeal.

Sen. D’Amato was not accused of wrongdoing, and the Justice Department said there was no evidence that he knew of the scheme.

In a statement, he said: “I am saddened, of course I am saddened, but it is our system, and I remain convinced my brother did everything within the law. I am confident his appeal will be successful.”

The government said Armand D’Amato arranged for letters on his brother’s stationery and bearing his brother’s signature to be sent to Navy officials on behalf of Unisys Corp.’s defense systems.

The counts on which D’Amato was convicted dealt with his accepting two checks from Unisys totaling $32,500 and sending five phony invoices to the defense contractor. Each count involved mailings of checks or bills.