A Queens Republican operative, accused of pocketing $25,000 as part of a failed scheme to help state Sen. Malcolm Smith rig last year’s mayoral race, was so boozed up when he took the cash that he thought he was being paid for legal consulting services, a lawyer claimed Thursday.
Leo Ahern, a lawyer for ex-Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone, accused the government of entrapment. He told a federal jury his client had one too many vodka tonics with a politically connected group at Sparks Steak House in Midtown on Valentine’s Day 2013. It was then, Ahern claimed, that an undercover FBI agent and a wire-wearing, crooked developer-turned-informant walked Tabone outside to a parked Audi and paid him the cash.
The Rockland County developer was Moses Stern, whom the feds say Smith — one of the state’s most powerful Democrats — turned to for money and help in a $200,000 bribery scheme to get the Republican ballot for mayor.
“[Tabone] had six or seven vodka toxics without eating,” Ahern told the jury in White Plains federal court. “He was hoping to be retained [by Stern] as a real estate lawyer or a political consultant.”
Ahern said tapes of the exchange will show his client “could barely talk” when he took the cash. He also said Tabone sought contact information from the undercover agent he knew as “Raj,” so he could send “retainer” papers and make “everything up and up.” Ahern claimed Raj gave Tabone a business card — but later took it back.
13 comments:
The excuses in this case keep getting better and better.
Fake. Phony. Fraud. Queens.
I think the Honorable Mr. Tabone missed a branding opportunity here--just what kind of vodka did he get soused on? Regardless, you can certainly suffer worse fates after dining at Sparks Steak House.
He really does drink a LOT, that's no excuse or defense though.
And where were Ragusa and his soup strainer at the time? GooGoo ga Joob!
Funny, Virginia gave up its plantations and their absentee land owners who spent most of their time in NY about 150 years ago.
In 2014 Queens is a plantation with its absentee landowner spending most of his time in Virginia.
Vinny is just a bit player at the zoo.
Please leave Phil Ragusa be. He is dealing with a serious illness, and he had nothing to do with this fiasco.
As for Vince, he should have made a deal with the Feds. He'd lose his law license, but would have avoided prison, and pay a fine. If this is the best argument his lawyer is able to drum up, he is in serious trouble. Vince's patting down of undercover FBI agent before he sat down with him shows he knew he was doing something illegal. Jury is going to hang him.
Wonderful republican excuses:
* I am not responsible. I was too drunk to know what I was doing.
* I am not responsible. I was thinking on a tumor.
Not so you think I am anti-republican, we have a host of dim witted democrats too.
* Anyone from the Crowley family.
* Anyone from the Vallone family.
* Anyone from the Meng family.
* Anyone from the Weprin family.
* Anyone from the Stavisky family.
* Anyone from the Hevesi family.
* And let's not forget the perpetual candidate feeding from the public trough, John Liu and his band of confederate familia.
HE IS STILL A SCHMUCK AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.AND SO ARE THE UNIFORMED NYC VOTERS.
IT IS VERY DEPRESSING TO HAVE SERVED IN THEU.S.NAVY MINEFORCE DURING THE KOREAN WAR ,TO FREE S.KOREANS FROM TOTALITARIAN COMMUNISIM AND HAVE TO LIVE IN "MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON" WITH A COMMUNIST MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I applaud all of you for resisting the impulse to make wisecracks about Tim Tabone's middle name, Down.
Anon No. 10:
Halloran isn't a schmuck. He's corrupt. So is Malcolm Smith. Somis Vince Tabone. So is anyone else - in either party - who violates the public trust. Each one knew damn well what they were doing.
These people make me sick and the dopey voters all saw the signs before Halloran was even elected.
-Big trash mouth
-his literature touted him as Catholic Altar Boy but he was a practicing pagan????
-He traveled with his own papparrazzi, his staffers, who ran around like they were secret service for POTUS
People these days are more impressed with fake bravado than with old fashioned track records.
I'm glad they were all taken down, it's time to clean up the mess these boozy, tree worshipping Reps created.
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