Defendant Skelos, Dean, Bribery, New York 2023

Robert Khuzami, acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced the convictions of former New York State Senate Majority Leader DEAN SKELOS and his son ADAM SKELOS on bribery, extortion, and honest services fraud counts, following a five-week jury trial before the U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.

According to the evidence introduced at trial, court filings, and statements made in Manhattan federal court, DEAN SKELOS repeatedly abused his official position to obtain more than $300,000 in bribes and extortion payments made to his son, ADAM SKELOS. The defendants had previously been found guilty of the same offenses by a jury in December 2015, but their convictions were overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in McDonnell v. United States.

Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said: “Yet again, a New York jury heard a sordid tale of bribery, extortion, and the abuse of power by a powerful public official of this State. And yet again, a jury responded with a unanimous verdict of guilt, in this case of Dean Skelos and his son Adam – sending the resounding message that political corruption will not be tolerated.”

From 2011 to 2015, DEAN SKELOS served as Majority Leader and Co-Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, a position that gave him significant power over the operation of New York State government. DEAN SKELOS repeatedly used this power to pressure companies with business before New York State to make payments to his son, ADAM SKELOS, who substantially depended on these companies for his income.

The Glenwood Scheme began in late 2010, and continuing for approximately two years, DEAN SKELOS repeatedly solicited payments for ADAM SKELOS from representatives of Glenwood Management Corp. (“Glenwood”), a major New York City real estate company. DEAN SKELOS’s solicitations for payments to ADAM SKELOS took place during the same meetings when Glenwood’s representatives were asking for DEAN SKELOS’s assistance with New York State legislation that was crucial to Glenwood’s profitability.

Abtech Industries (“Abtech”), an Arizona-based stormwater technology company in which Glenwood’s founding family owned a stake, ultimately agreed to increase ADAM SKELOS’s payments to $10,000 per month because the company feared that, if it did not meet the defendants’ demands, it would lose the Nassau County contract that was critical to its business.

The convictions of DEAN SKELOS and ADAM SKELOS send a strong message that those who abuse their power and engage in corrupt activities will be held accountable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to root out corruption and ensure that those who engage in such activities are brought to justice.

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