N.Y. State Senator Charged in Bribery Case Surrenders
A New York state senator surrendered Thursday to face charges that he accepted bribes in exchange for his assistance in getting public funding on city and state projects.
The indictment of Guy Velella, 57, also names his father, who is his law partner; a former state housing official; and a construction consultant on bribery charges.
A fifth person, a construction company owner, was charged with helping to launder bribes, Manhattan Dist. Atty. Robert Morgenthau said.
All five pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Thursday.
According to the indictment, the illicit payments were made principally in the form of “legal fees” for which little or no work was performed. It said the fees were paid through two law firms run by the senator and his father, Vincent J. Velella, 88, who is also a member of the New York City Board of Elections.
Morgenthau said the defendants accepted more than $250,000 in bribes from 1995 through June 2000.
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