State Senator John Sampson Convicted Of Obstructing Justice & Other Charges

Democratic State Senator John Sampson, who was arrested in May 2013 for allegedly accepting loans from private entities and embezzling more than $400,000 in the sale of foreclosed houses, has been convicted of three of the nine charges filed against him, and could face up to 20 years in prison.

As a court-appointed foreclosure referee, Sampson, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and represented Canarsie and East New York, was accused of embezzling an estimated $440,000 derived from the sale of foreclosed houses in 1998 and 2002 (he kept the money for himself instead of returning it to court officials).

The NY Times reports that one of the trial's key witnesses, Sampson's (former) friend developer Edul Ahmad (from whom Sampson was accused of shadily borrowing $188,500), testified that Sampson would often "threaten to silence" anyone he believed was helping investigators. This recalls earlier accusations made by a mole in the US Attorney's Office—Sampson allegedly begged said mole to give him the names of cooperating witnesses, so that he could "take them out."

Sampson's embezzlement charges were thrown out because the judge ruled that the statute of limitations had passed. However, in addition to obstructing justice, Sampson was found guilty on two charges of making false statements. At this he was, apparently, a pro: Earlier this month, jurors on the case heard a recording of Sampson coaching Ahmad on how to deceive prosecutors while out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Howard Beach. "I don't want you to lie," he said. "Just say you don't know."

Despite all this, Sampson was reelected to the Senate in November, with 86 percent of the vote. It goes without saying that he has now lost is seat.

At a press conference soon after Sampson's 2013 arrest, FBI Assistant Director George Venizelos told reporters, "Elected officials are referred to as 'public servants,' and that should not be confused with 'self-serving.' The people of New York have a right to demand, at a bare minimum, that their elected representatives obey the law."