Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Anthony Mangone pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax evasion charges.

In January 2010, a Grand Jury returned an Indictment against Sandy Annabi, the former Democratic Majority Leader of the Yonkers City Council, Zehy Jereis, the former head of the Yonkers Republican Party, and Mangone, a Westchester County attorney. The Indictment charges Annabi, Jereis, and Mangone with conspiracy, bribery, and extortion in connection with two real estate development projects within the City of Yonkers that were pending before Annabi when she was on the City Council. The Indictment also charges Annabi with false statement and tax-related crimes.

Mangone, an attorney whose office was located in Hawthorne, New York, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge George A. Yanthis to Counts One, Two, Five, and Six of the Indictment, charging him with participating in a conspiracy to bribe Annabi, aiding Annabi’s receipt of corrupt payments, extortion under color of official right, and travel act bribery. Mangone also pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to a separate one-count Information filed today charging him with tax evasion. The maximum sentence of imprisonment for the crimes to which Mangone pled guilty today is 45 years.

In his plea allocution today, Mangone admitted that he and Jereis agreed to give Annabi cash to influence her official action while she was a Yonkers City Councilwoman. Specifically, Mangone said that, with corrupt intent, he gave Jereis tens of thousands of dollars to give to Annabi so that Annabi would switch her vote in favor of the Longfellow Project. Mangone also acknowledged that he engaged in tax evasion and that he failed to report legal fees from clients from 2003 through 2007.

As alleged in the Indictment:

The Longfellow Project 
In 2003, a developer (“Developer No. 1″) proposed to develop a tract of land located partially within the Yonkers City Council District represented by Annabi by renovating and transforming two vacant and dilapidated schools into market-rate housing (the “Longfellow Project”). Annabi initially opposed the Longfellow Project. During a City Council meeting on June 14, 2005, Annabi proclaimed her strong opposition to the project, stating: “Even if the entire community supported [it], I would be opposed.” She also said that the project was “outrageous” and a “slap in the face to the taxpayers of Yonkers.” Despite considerable effort, Developer No. 1 was unable to move the project forward in the face of Annabi’s opposition.

https://www.yonkerstribune.com/2010/11/anthony-mangone-defendant-in-yonkers-public-corruption-case-pleads-guilty-in-white-plains-federal-court