United States v. Sampson

122 F. Supp. 3d 11, 2015 WL 4872551
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 12, 2015
DocketNo. 13-CR-269 (S-5)(DLI)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 122 F. Supp. 3d 11 (United States v. Sampson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Sampson, 122 F. Supp. 3d 11, 2015 WL 4872551 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

DORA L. IRIZARRY, District Judge:

THE INDICTMENT

Defendant was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Eastern District of New York for embezzlement under 18 U.S.C. § 666 (Counts 1 and 2), conspiracy to obstruct justice (Count 3) under 18 . U.S.C. § 1512(k), obstruction of justice "under 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (Count 4), .witness and evidence tampering under 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (Counts 5-7), concealment of records under 18 U.S.C. § 1519 (Count 8), and making false statements to law enforcement officers under 18. U.S.C, § 1001 (Counts 9-1Í). -(SSI ¶¶ 52-55, 58-73, Dkt. Entry No. 121.) Defendant entered into a tolling agreement with the government, which tolled the statute of limitations from February 1, 2013 up to and including May 17, 2013 (the “tolling period”) and excluded the tolling period from any statute of limitations calculations. (Statute of Limitations Tolling Agreement attached as “Exhibit A” to Gov’t’s Mem! at ¶ 4.) The following facts relate to Counts Í, 2, and 11 only.

Counts 1 and- 2 of. the • SSI charged Defendant with embezzling money while acting as a court-appointed referee for foreclosure proceedings conducted by the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Kings County.2 (SSI, ¶¶4-26, 52-55.) Specifically, the SSI states- that, “[s]ince approximately 2002, the [D]efendant ... [14]*14embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds from escrow accounts relating to foreclosure proceedings involving four Brooklyn real estate properties;” however, Defendant was charged only in relation to two properties. {Id. ¶ 5.) As a referee, Defendant was responsible for selling foreclosed properties and using the proceeds to repay fees, outstanding mortgages, and liens. {Id. ¶ 12) Through his position, Defendant oversaw the sales of a property located at 165 Forbell Street in Brooklyn, New York (the “For-bell Street Property”), the subject of Count 1, and another located at 1915 Eighth Avenue (the “Eighth Avenue Property”), the subject of Count 2. {Id. ¶ 15.) The state court orders directing the foreclosure and sale of these properties also directed Defendant to repay the mortgages and liens, deposit the proceeds of the sales into escrow accounts opened in his name in specified banks, file a referee’s report of sale, and forward any surplus funds to the Clerk of the Court. {Id. ¶ 18, 21; J. of Foreclosure and Sale Forbell Street Property (“Forbell St. Jgmt.”) attached as “Exhibit A” to Decl. of Nathaniel H. Akerman in Supp. of Def. John Sampson’s Pretrial Mot. to Dismiss and to Sever (“Akerman Decl.”) at 4, Dkt. Entry No. 64 (directing “that said referee then deposit the balance of said proceeds of sale in his own name as Referee in Citibank, N.A.”); J. of Foreclosure and Sale Eighth Street Property (“Eighth St. Jgmt.”) attached as “Exhibit E” to Akerman Decl. at 4 (directing “that said Referee then deposit the balance of said proceeds in his/her own name as Referee in Independence Savings Bank, Montague St. Branch, Bklyn”).)3 The judgments of foreclosure and sale also directed Defendant to remit the surplus funds to the Kings County Clerk within five days of filing his reports. (Forbell St. Jgmt. at 6; J. Eighth St. Jgmt. at 6.)

On October 7, 1998, Defendant sold the Forbell Street Property, signed his referee report, and deposited approximately $80,000 in surplus funds from the Forbell Street Property into a Chase Bank account in his name (not a Citibank account as directed by the state court). (SSI, ¶ 19; Chase Bank Account Statements attached to Akerman Decl. as “Exhibit D”; Referee’s Report of Sale Forbell Street Property attached to Akerman Decl. as “Exhibit B” at 3.)4 Thus, Defendant was supposed to remit the surplus funds to the Kings County Clerk by October 12, 1998.5 On or [15]*15about February 13, 2008, Defendant transferred $8,000 from the Chase Bank account into his personal bank account. (SSI, ¶ 20.) Defendant never deposited the surplus funds with the Kings County Clerk. (Id.)

On June 28, 2002, Defendant sold the Eighth Street Property, signed his referee report, and deposited approximately $80,000 in surplus funds from the sale into an HSBC account in his name (not in an Independence Savings Bank account as directed by the state court). (SSI, ¶22; HSBC Account Statements attached as “Exhibit A” to Reply Mem. of Law in Supp. of Def.’s Mot. (“Def.’s Reply”), Dkt. Entry No. 71.) Thus, Defendant was supposed to remit the surplus funds to the Kings County Clerk by July 3,2002.

On July 21, 2006, a balance of $55,167.94 remained in the HSBC account, which Defendant combined with a bank check for $27,500 to purchase a bank check in the amount of $82,667.94 (the “2006 Bank Check”). (Id. ¶ 24.) Defendant made the 2006 Bank Check payable to the “Kings County Clerk Office.” (Id.) However, Defendant never deposited the 2006 Bank Check with the Kings County Clerk. (Id. ¶ 25.) Instead, on or about and between June 7, 2008, Defendant exchanged the 2006 Bank Check for eight bank checks worth $10,000 each and one bank check for $2,667.94, all made payable to John Sampson. (Id.) On or about and between June 12, 2008 and January 12, 2009, Defendant redeemed for cash three of the $10,000 bank checks, negotiated the $2,667.94 bank check, and deposited two of the $10,000 bank checks into his personal account. (SSI, ¶ 26.) Defendant never repaid the surplus funds to the Kings County Clerk. (Id.) Collectively, these transactions shall be referred to as the “2008 transactions.”

Count 11 of the SSI charges Defendant with making materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements and representations to Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) agents about an outstanding sales tax balance owed by a liquor store in which the Defendant allegedly has a financial inter-, est. (SSI, ¶¶ 43-46, 50-51, 72-73.) From 1997 through the' present, Defendant served as a member of the New York State Senate (“Senate”). In or about'December 2011, John Sampson acquired an ownership interest with four other partners in a liquor store in Brooklyn, New York, which ownership he subsequently concealed from his Senate staff members.. (Id.

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122 F. Supp. 3d 11, 2015 WL 4872551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-sampson-nyed-2015.