Saturday, April 18, 2009

Well isn't that special?

From the Queens Courier:

A former Artistic Director of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) has pleaded guilty to a minor violation and agreed to 140 hours of community service for padding his expense account.

Harvey Seifter, 55, of 230 East 48th Street in Manhattan, had been charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property after being arrested by police of the 102nd Precinct in early February.

If convicted, he would have faced seven years in prison.

Instead, Seifter was allowed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct and given a conditional discharge, after pledging to make restitution of $7,233.49 to FCCA and Americans for the Arts, a Manhattan-based non-profit that had hired him as a consultant.

Under the terms of the plea bargain, if Seifter makes good on the conditions and stays out of trouble for a year, the case will be sealed and he will “basically have no criminal record,” according to the DA’s office.

20 comments:

Frank Lloyd Crap said...

A ringer for George Costanza ... in both appearance and lack of ethics.

Anonymous said...

As soon as he became Director of the FCCA, he signed a $30,000 contract with The Parkside Group for lobbying the elected officials for $$$. The former Director and Founder of the FCCA, Jo-Ann Jones did her own lobbying and was VERY successful at it.

You belong in jail Harvey! If Jo-Ann Jones and Lucy Nunziato were around today, there would be no plea bargains for you. You'd be where you belong, in Rikers. You were hardly at Town Hall during your tenure. But I guess you spent enough time there just to pad your expense account and hire Parkside. SHAME ON YOU!!!!

georgetheatheist said...

"Basically have no criminal record."

But of course a media record on Queens Crap Blogsite.

Anonymous said...

He was charged with GRAND LARCENY so why the hell should his case be sealed and get off with a slap on the wrist?

He's a thieving bastard... pure and simple!

Now let's open up "The Parkside Group's" books and see what they've been hiding!

Calling all FBI agents!

Anonymous said...

All of the employees at Town Hall knew he was up to no good. Having meetings in Manhattan, the Flushing people would have to travel to him. He was hardly seen in Flushing.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm...Interesting. Did Harvey get a fee from The Parkside Group for signing with them?

Anonymous said...

Deposited in a Zurich numbered account maybe!

WHEN THE HELL IS "PARKSIDE" GOING TO BE PUT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE?

Queens Botanical Gardens used them too!

Didn't practically every cultural organization in Queens use them ?

Evan always seems walk away with a "get out of jail free" card.

I guess Toby's got her little shifty "fagela" son well covered!

I'll bet they've got a juicy file that beat J. Edgar Hoover's on everybody and his mother should anybody think of ratting out that lowlife political family.

Maybe that'[s why nobody ever gets invited into their district office!

Taxpayer said...

FCCA president Howard Graf said, “We are grateful to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown and his staff for resolving this matter quickly.”

When contacted by The Queens Courier, Seifter said his penance would be “work involving a food bank and hunger, which is a cause I’m concerned with.” He said his attorney would respond to any “legal questions.” It probably matters not a bit that the money he stole would have been used by someone to feed his hungry children. Those kids are just not politically connected, so, let then starve.

There you go DA Brown. Let the politically connected scum violate any law to any degree, and have them know that with you as DA, they are in safe harbor.

Just like you did for Gallagher, and are getting ready to do for Monster RAT!

Anonymous said...

Hotel expenses? Where and for what?

Anonymous said...

Harvey and Evan have the same personality - spolied snot-noses!

Anonymous said...

err spoiled snot-noses!

Anonymous said...

I used to respect Queens DA Richard Brown(AKA "Judge"), but I guess he's been in office too long. Time to retire him. So long Dick!

Anonymous said...

"A ringer for George Costanza ... in both appearance and lack of ethics."

You mean it's wrong to have sex with the cleaning lady in the office?

Anonymous said...

Graff...............great name........... just add t

Anonymous said...

I never liked "shrimp" Brown...
all 5 foot six of him!

That DA always goes easy on politically connected perps.

Anonymous said...

What are we talkin'about...the guy stole more than $150,000 from the Flushing Council. They just won't prosecute him. They don't want any more bad news out there.

Anonymous said...

Harvey Seifter stole more like $400,000. Shame on EVERYONE who is letting himn get away with this!!
FCCA Board Members all looked the other way. Now he's going to get some community service instead of jail time. He ruined people's lives and was a total BASTARD to everyone. He's a liar and a thief. Queens newspapers - what happened to investigating this???
LAZY.

Anonymous said...

If anyone back east had bothered checking Harvey's references from his stint at the Magic Theatre in san Francisco, they wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place! As for Harvey, he managed to stay out of jail then, and obvioulsy he has managed to stay out of jail again... Anybody say "failing upward"?

Anonymous said...

They should have check at the Magic Theatre where are the hushing began, then to the Gretna Theatre in PA where he was for one disastrous season, then to Orpheus Ensemble, etc...

He knows just the right lawyer. No one can talk, but there's been devastation along the way.

Anonymous said...

He was involved with very very shady work at the Magic Theatre. He is scum. Is there no way he will ever pay?