Disgraced former Queens state senator Shirley Huntley was sentenced to one year in prison, and three year probation, the Associated Press reported. She pleaded guilty to mail fraud conspiracy last winter and admitted to embezzling nearly $88,000 from a state-funded non profit she controlled.
"The prosecution of Shirley Huntley ended her political career and devastated her family," her lawyer wrote in court documents.
Huntley, a Democrat, recorded conversation with nine other New York politicians, some of whom have been charged in separate cases with crimes including bribery and embezzlement, like Senators Malcolm Smith and John Sampson.
Huntley's sentencing came amidst intense publicity on her case, which focused less on her actual crimes, and more on the recent stunning disclosure that she had secretly tapped other politicians and other people last summer at the direction of prosecutors in a bid to win leniency.
Yesterday, the names of six Democratic state senators she had taped were disclosed in an unsealed court document: John Sampson of Brooklyn, former NYPD cop Eric Adams of Brooklyn, Jose Peralta of Queens, Ruth Hassell-Thompson of The Bronx, Malcolm Smith of Queens and Velmanette Montgomery of Brooklyn.
"This is a special case of a member of the legislature who has pleaded guilty to stealing funds allocated for the special purpose of aiding the children of the city of New York," Brooklyn federal court Judge Jack Weinstein. The judge did sentence Huntley to less than the 18 to 24 month range requested by prosecutors and federal sentencing guidelines, the New York Post reported. She was sentenced to one year-plus-a-day. She also was ordered to pay $87,000 in restitution.
Her lawyer told the judge at Thursday's sentencing that since last week's public disclosure she had cooperated with prosecutors her family has been harassed with menacing phone calls.
"Mr. Huntley just this week was accosted-physically accosted- on the street. The family has been terrorized. They're really scared for their lives," her defense attorney said.
