Former Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook was sentenced to five years in prison today, stemming from his July conviction for funneling $2 million in taxpayer dollars towards himself and family members.
Famously remembered for altering a $7 bagel receipt to $177 for government reimbursement, Seabrook also used laundered cash from fraudulent nonprofits he set up to pay for plane tickets to Florida, credit card bills, and hefty salaries for family members. But his luxury bagel days are now behind him—he was convicted on nine counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy charges, each of which carried up to a 20-year sentence.
Seabrook, who was a Democratic state senator and assemblyman prior to being elected to City Council, was lucky enough to get off with just five years, plus a $619,715 fine and $418,252 forfeiture. DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn released a statement today following Seabrook's sentencing:
“Larry Seabrook diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from the public till into the pockets of his favored cronies. Today, he is a convicted felon, stripped of his City Council position, who must serve prison time. His sentence punctuates a powerful message that abusing government power to steal has serious consequences..”
He will have to surrender by March 8th of this year.
