Shelly Silver’s “time has come,” Judge Valerie Caproni said Monday: “He needs to go to jail.” Will it finally stick?
Now 76, the former speaker of the state Assembly has dodged prison for five years — despite admissions such as: “My use of my office for personal gain was improper, selfish and ethically indefensible,” as he put it this week.
Convicted in 2015 on extortion, honest-services fraud and money-laundering, he was handed a 12-year sentence — all overturned on appeal. Tried and found guilty again in 2018, he appealed again — but only got a few charges overturned this time.
“This was corruption, pure and simple,” Caproni noted in ordering a $1 million fine and 78 months’ hard time.
“He abused his office,” prosecutor Daniel Richenthal said Monday. “He did it for profit, he did it for at least 15 years, he did it in multiple ways and he lied about it for years.”
Yet he’s still a free man until at least Aug. 26. Heck, the judge even cited his advanced age as a reason his sentence isn’t longer.
Justice won’t be served until he actually shows up at a federal penitentiary.