News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 14, 2013: Guyanese-born, New York-based attorney, Albert Baldeo, is set to face a November trial for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, attempted mail fraud, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and obstruction of justice charges, stemming from alleged campaign-finance improprieties.
Judge Paul A. Crotty has set a November 18 trial date for the Queens district leader and two-time candidate for the City Council candidate.
The feds allege that Baldeo used phantom donors to funnel illegal campaign contributions to his unsuccessful 2010 campaign for the Council as part of a fraudulent effort to increase the amount of matching funds he would have been eligible for from city.
But irregularities were uncovered in an audit by the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which passed the information along to the authorities, and no matching funds were ultimately provided to the campaign, prosecutors said.
The government alleges that Baldeo fabricated contributions to his campaign to receive $6 in matching funds for every $1 he reportedly raised.
