The $692 million CityTime scandal—arguably the biggest boondoggle of Mayor Bloomberg's three terms, even if most New Yorkers greeted it with a shrug—is starting to wrap up. Today the city and the U.S. Attorney's office announced that Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the main contractor in the $600 million-plus project, will pay over $500 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into its conduct. Meanwhile the criminal charges in the case continue. more ›

Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani naturalized U.S. citizen who was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and other federal crimes for allegedly leaving a car bomb in Times Square, has reportedly waived his right to a rapid court hearing. According to the NY Times, "The disclosure that Mr. Shahzad has waived his right to a speedy arraignment suggests that he is continuing to provide valuable information to the office of Preet Bharara." more ›

The Gambino crime family takedown yesterday led to numerous charges of criminal activity and sex trafficking, but one thing it did not bring was a rat—though not for lack of trying. The feds approached one of the indicted men, soldier Onofrio "Noel" Modica, 46, last week before the bust (as he was walking to his physical therapist) and tried to get him to turn on his compatriots. But he refused and was arrested on Tuesday. Modica's lawyer claims that the feds are getting back at him for not cooperating. more ›

ABC News reports that Richard Zabel, "the new chief of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan," has recused himself from the Bernard Madoff investigation "because his father represents one of the potential targets." Zabel's dad's client is Jeffrey Picower, who allegedly took $7.2 billion from Madoff's fraud. One lawyer said, "[The feds] have been dragging their feet and have not shown an appetite for going after others who may have helped Madoff devise the scheme." more ›

The allegations against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (a Democrat; pictured), who is now in federal custody, are stunning. Trying to sell or trade President-elect Obama's Senate seat? Check. Shaking down a hospital for sick children? Check. Trying to influence the Tribune's editorial board? Check! more ›

">accused by the feds of taking over $500,000 in bribes. Or, as Seminerio allegedly called it, "consulting" payments. more ›

Sharpe James, five-time former mayor of Newark, NJ, was convicted by federal jury this morning on charges he conspired to, per the Star-Ledger, "rig the sale of nine city lots to his mistress, who quickly resold them for hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit." more ›

A grand jury voted to indict former police commissioner Bernard Kerik on federal corruption charges yesterday and, this morning, he surrender to the FBI in White Plains. The indictment was sealed, but the 16 counts include charges of "conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud and making false statements." The U.S. Attorney's office, which sought the indictment, and the FBI are giving a press conference now; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York... more ›

The U.S. Attorney's office will be asking a grand jury to indict former police commissioner Bernard Kerik on tax evasion, corruption, and conspiracy charges. Kerik has reportedly made arrangements to surrender tomorrow, instead of being arrested by U.S. marshals. Kerik's dealings have also been questioned, even back when his friend Rudy Giuliani was mayor, but his past became a big story when President Bush nominated him for Secretary of Homeland Security in 2004, only for... more ›

At my window sad and lonely, by Brainware3000. more ›

Yesterday's decision by a federal judge to sentence controversial lawyer Lynne Stewart to 28 months in prison for charges in helping terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman carry out his message was met by relief from Stewart supporters and overwhelming outcry from the government (which had hoped for a 30 year sentence) and many of the local papers. The Post, Daily News and the Sun all have editorials criticizing Judge Koetl's short sentence. From the Daily News:

Perhaps kindly Judge Koeltl was touched by the sight of Stewart, all her revolutionary bravado fled, blubbering that the end of her legal career "is like a sword in my side." Perhaps he was moved by the defense argument that Stewart, who is 67 and ailing, would die behind bars if a sentence of any reasonable length were imposed. more ›

One day is all it took. After it was revealed Republican Attorney General candidate and former Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro was under federal investigation for possibly wiretapping her husband - because she was worried he was cheating on her - it's revealed who the possible "other lady" in Al Pirro's life was: The 35 year old wife of the lawyer who represented Al Pirro in his 2000 tax evasion case. The Post calls Lisa Santangelo "a stunning brunette 20 years [Jeanine's] junior" while the Daily News calls her "elegant". Either way Santangelo is painted as a family friend (plus the Pirros and Santangelos live near each other) but Satangelo wasn't wearing a wedding band when the photogs descended. However, Santangelo's husband told reporters, "I stand by my wife. Due to the fact that there is an ongoing federal investigation, neither my wife or myself can comment. However, we have been friends with the Pirros for many years." And then his law partner issued a statement saying, "We emphatically deny that there was any affair." more ›

This morning, Jeanine Pirro kept her appointment to speak at the New York Hispanic Clergy Association and spoke out against the federal investigation into her possible plans to wiretap her lying and cheating husband (he's lied and cheated before, though it's unclear if there was any lying and cheating last summer). WNBC has footage of today's speech, where she says that she's fought to keep her family together, that she's disturbed by the leaking of court documents, and that's she is asking US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to investigate who leaked the docs. Hey, can't Bernard Kerik tap someone to find out who did that? Pirro wants an investigation, and people, she is "not rolling over...not this time." So, suck on it, Andrew Cuomo (her rival in the Attorney General race) and all the other polticial pundits who consider her campaign to be dead in the water. more ›

That thud you heard this afternoon? The jaws of Jeanine Pirro's campaign staffers. It turns out that Republican candidate for NY State Attorney General Pirro is under state and federal criminal investigation. WNBC's Jonathan Dienst had the scoop: State and federal agencies were looking into whether Pirro eavesdropped on her husband, who she suspected might be cheating on her. (Well, he did father a love child a couple years into their marriage.) more ›

Now this was a primary. Ned Lamont defeated Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman in yesterday's Senate primary, 51% to 48%. Lieberman still plans to run in November's Senate race as a third party "petitioning candidate." A petitioning candidate with better website security, we imagine, after his campaign accused Lamont's of crashing their server, leading them to put up a statement:

"For the past 24 hours the Friends for Joe Lieberman's website and email has been totally disrupted and disabled, we believe that this is the result of a coordinated attack by our political opponents. The campaign has notified the US Attorney and the Connecticut Chief State's Attorney and the campaign will be filing a formal complaint reflecting our concerns. The campaign has also notified the State Attorney General Dick Blumenthal for his review."

Daily News calls them "Stringfellas" because one of their schemes was to sell a stolen Stradivarius violin and "then rob the buyer." That would be an ambitious but classic (no pun intended) cycle of crime: Claim to sell stuff only to pocket the cash and then take the object back for another "sale" - we just like that coveted musical instruments would have been used in the deals. The feds had been watching the gang, which dabbled in extortion, drugs and weapons trafficking as wells as stolen IDs, for over a year. The Brooklyn US Attorney said, "No effort will be spared to ensure that criminal groups like the Greenpoint crew do not gain a foothold in our communities." But there may have been someone in the NYPD who helped the gang (many gang members hung out at the Europa Club, which is near the 94th Precinct).
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The NYPD is being rocked by news that two former police officers were on the take from the mob, for their roles in eight murders. Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were arrested in Las Vegas, where they moved after retiring from the NYPD, and charged with racketeering conspiracy, two attempted murders, obstruction of justice, money laundering and more. The US Attorney's office claims that Eppolito and Caracappa used their ties in the NYPD to smoke out rival gangsters for the Lucchese family; the NY Times wrote, "in 1986, they flashed their badges and kidnapped a mobster, threw him in the trunk of their car and delivered him to a rival, who tortured and killed him." Also, it seems that the feds tried to connect the pair to the mob in 1994, but that case fell apart because the mob informant wasn't a reliable witness; it seems that the current informant is better suited. The Daily News has a list of the murders the two ex-cops were allegedly involved in. more ›