Brooklyn construction magnate gets probation for funneling illegal donations to NYC Mayor Eric Adams
NEW YORK (AP) – A Brooklyn construction boss was sentenced to one year in prison to work with a Turkish government official to make an illegal campaign contributions to New York Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor’s criminal charges fell.
76 -year -old Erden Arkan, Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho, Adams’ın City Matching Funds program within the scope of the 2021 municipal bill for the fraudulent way to get public money to enter the Straw Donor program, he regretted “bad decisions”.
Ho, Arkan’s age and otherwise he broke the record to impose the sentence, saying that the immigrant success story of the Turkish -born businessman samzammayan samples the American dream ”.
“I hope you won’t let this mistake describe you, Ho Ho Arkan said.
Arkan was sentenced to six months in prison under the federal penalty guidelines, but prosecutors and federal -controlled freedom officials admitted that the prison period was not guaranteed. In addition to probation, a fine of $ 9,500 and compensation of $ 18,000 should pay.
Arkan was found guilty of a conspiracy at the Manhattan Federal Court in January. Weeks later, President Donald Trump pressured the Ministry of Justice to release prosecutors to quit under -under -under -the -man cases against Adams and was rejected.
On Friday, his lawyer Jonathan Rosen detonated the government for continuing to continue his case after rejecting Adams’s charges.
Rosen said, “To say slightly, this is a very unusual situation. In fact, unprecedented situation,” he said.
Ministry of Justice Leadership in February Manhattan ordered federal prosecutors to drop Adams’ caseArguing that the democratic mayor’s ability to help the republican administration’s ability to help immigration pressure.
HO, who also supervised the mayor’s case, rejected his charges in April. According to a written view, he acknowledged that this was the only practical result, but also criticized that the government said it was “disturbing” logic. To ask for accusations thrown.
While Adams survived, prosecutors continued to receive an old helper against Arkan and Mayor Mohamed Bahi.
Bahi, who served as the chief connection of the Muslim community to the Muslim community,, Found guilty of demanding straw donations on Tuesday December 2020 For the municipal campaign of Adams, one of the employees of a different Brooklyn construction company at the Donation Collection Company.
In January, Arkan admitted that the construction company had given a refund to his employees for donations to the Adams campaign and infringed the law by knowing the law.
In the short statements of Friday, he apologized to the taxpayers who paid the matching funds program and told Ho to Ho: im I love this city.
According to the prosecutors, Adams asked Arkan and the Turkish Consulate official personally donations at the April 2021 dinner. The following month Arkan organized a donation collection in the center of the construction company KSK, which made 10 employees donated between $ 1,200 to $ 1,500. Later, they paid back by Arkan and turned them into illegal straw donations.
Prosecutors claimed that Adams later used these funds to obtain a fraudulent public money within the scope of the match that matches the city that had a generous match for small dollar donations.
Arkan’s ties with Adams, a well -known member of the Turkish community of New York, appeared in November 2023 with the businessman’s house with the house of the federal inspectors and the house of the Turkish community.
Adams claimed that he was not guilty bribery and other charges 2024 indictments He accused him of accepting illegal campaign contributions and travel discounts from a Turkish official and others, and helping Türkiye to open a diplomatic building without crossing fire controls.
At a hearing that triggered the dismissal of his case on February 19, Adams told Ho: “I didn’t commit a crime.” The first mayor, a former police captain, jumped the democratic primary of June and is currently working independently to be re -elected.
