Judgment day has arrived for disgraced State Senator Pedro Espada, who was convicted last May of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a nonprofit health care network he founded in the Bronx. He was sentenced to five years in prison today. His Soundview Health Clinic, financed largely through taxpayer dollars, often struggled to pay for basic medical supplies while Espada and his family lived lavishly in Westchester; according to court papers "Espada spent over $100 on a lobster dinner delivered to his home in Mamaroneck that included an $18 charge to have the shell removed because apparently Espada did not want to endure that burden himself."
Espada also spent “sixty thousand dollars on sushi and lobster,” paid for parties and spa treatments using money funneled through the medical center, and even tried to buy a Bentley using a corporate AmEx registered to the Soundview clinics. During his long, colorful trial, Espada held press conferences accusing an FBI agent of using black magic to turn the jury against him. His wife and supporters also wore red to court in order to ward off evil powers. It was all for naught. The Times reports from today's sentencing:
Several members of Mr. Espada’s family looked on ruefully. Throughout the ordeal, they had been at the center of it all. As Mr. Espada was led away from the courtroom, he blew a kiss toward his wife.
In addition to the prison sentence, PIX 11 reports that Espada must pay $368,088 in forfeiture, $368,087.43 in restitution and $118,531 in money owed to the IRS. He's also been sentenced to 100 hours of community service. His corrupt son, Pedro G, will be sentenced next week. Pedro G's lawyer is hoping the judge will be lenient, and filed papers arguing that Pedro G "was recruited by his father into jobs and schemes that were not of his making."
