Manganos' bail requests denied; but prison delayed til August

                                                                       

U.S. District Court Joan Azrack yesterday denied requests from both former Republican Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and his wife, Linda, to be released on bail pending appeal of their convictions on federal corruption charges.

Azrack, who has been contemptous of the Manganos and what she described as Nassau's "culture of corruption" since the two were convicted in 2019 of taking bribes from restaurateur Harendra Singh, also denied Ed Mangano's request to stay payment of some millions of dollars in financial penalties during the appeal.

Azrack a week ago ordered Ed Mangano to begin paying $10.6 million in restitution to two insurance companies that loaned $20 million to Singh, a longtime Oyster Bay Town concessionaire, in the belief that the town would repay if Singh didn't.

Though Mangano was convicted of pressuring town officials to back the loans, three courts subsequently found the loan guarantees were illegal, unenforceable and "unfathomable."

In her 32-page decision,  Azrack agreed to push back the date the Manganos must report to federal prison to Aug. 27 from July 27.

"The court has determined that the defendants are not entitled to bail pending appeal because they have not raised substantial questions that are likely to result in reversal or an order for a new trial on all of their convictions," Azrack wrote. 

"However, Defendants will undoubtedly seek bail pending appeal from the Second Circuit. Defendants have raised multiple arguments and there is a voluminous record in this case—the Court presided over two lengthy trials, the parties filed numerous motions, and the Court issued a162-page decision denying Defendants’ post-trial motions. Accordingly, the Court grants Defendants a final extension of their surrender date to allow the briefing of their motions for bail pending appeal and the consideration of those motions by the Second Circuit."

Azrack has ordered Mangano to serve 12 years in federal prison.

She gave Linda Mangano a 15-month sentence for lying to the FBI about a "low-show" job she received from Singh that paid her $100,000 a year for more than four years.

Prosecutors maintain the job was a bribe in return for Ed Mangano pressuring town officials to issue the loan guarantees. They also pointed to other gifts from Singh to the couple, including a $7,300 watch for one of their sons, hardwood flooring for the Manganos' bedroom, luxury chairs, free meals and vacations.

The Manganos have maintained their innocence. They say Singh had been a longtime family friend.

Singh pleaded guilty to eight felonies of bribing Mangano and town officials. He was the star witness against the Manganos but has yet to be sentenced.

Records show that Assistant Town Attorney Fred Mei, who pleaded guilty to taking bribes from Singh, was the main player in loan guarantees signed by Town Attorney Len Genova. Mei hired the law firm of Harris Beach, which represented Singh, to write opinion letters to the lenders saying the guarantees were legal.

Mei has yet to be sentenced. Genova was granted immunity to testify for the prosecution. New York State disbarred Genova last week.

Harris Beach agreed to pay Oyster Bay $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit in which the town accused the firm of misappropriating taxpayer funds as part of the loan guarantee scheme. Neither side admitted liability.

Harris Beach contends it was duped by Mangano and Genova. A state supreme court justice found that Harris Beach should have known it was not representing the town when it wrote the opinion letters because the town board never voted to hire the firm.

Harris Beach was not charged with any wrongdoing.