Efrain Gonzalez
Encyclopedia
Efrain Gonzalez Jr. was New York senator
and convicted Felon
.
He was the Chair of the Minority Conference within the Senate, as well as Chairman Emeritus of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, Chair of the New York State Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. He is President of the National Hispanic Policy Institute. Gonzalez also serves on the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas, (COPA).
Born in Coamo, Puerto Rico
, Gonzalez's family moved to the United States shortly thereafter.
Prior to his election to the State Senate Gonzalez had worked as the Union Representative for the Transport Workers Union
, and subsequently, the Union Representative for Local 820 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1969 until 1979 which was during his employment at Brinks Armored Car Service.
Senator Efrian Gonzalez was married on July 20, 1969 and has four children with his wife.
On August 25, 2006, it was disclosed that Senator Gonzalez had been indicted for mail fraud. He surrendered to federal authorities shortly after his indictment was unsealed, and was subsequently released on $25,000 bail following his arraignment.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez is accused of defrauding the West Bronx Neighborhood Association Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, by using funds donated to the organization in order to pay for over $37,000 in personal expenses. In December 2006, in a new Federal indictment that replaced the August indictment, he was charged with diverting over $400,000 meant for the community not-for-profit to personal expenses, including vacation homes in the Dominican Republic, homes for his wife, mistress, renovations to his mother-in-law's home, Yankees tickets and college tuition for his daughter. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. He was defeated on September 9, 2008 in the Democratic Party primary by Pedro Espada
.
On May 25, 2010, Gonzalez was sentenced to 84 months (7 years) in prison, followed by two years supervised release, following pleading guilty to two conspiracy
counts and two wire fraud
counts in May 2009. In April, Judge William H. Pauley III
denied a request by Mr. Gonzalez to withdraw his plea.
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
and convicted Felon
Felon
Felon may refer to:* Someone who commits a felony* Whitlow, a purulent inflammation of the pulp of a finger* A slang term for Summer Mastitis in cows in the United Kingdom* Felon, Territoire de Belfort, a commune of the Franche-Comté region, in France...
.
He was the Chair of the Minority Conference within the Senate, as well as Chairman Emeritus of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, Chair of the New York State Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. He is President of the National Hispanic Policy Institute. Gonzalez also serves on the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas, (COPA).
Born in Coamo, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Gonzalez's family moved to the United States shortly thereafter.
Prior to his election to the State Senate Gonzalez had worked as the Union Representative for the Transport Workers Union
Transport Workers Union
Transport Workers Union may refer to:* The Transport Workers Union of America* The Transport Workers Union of Australia* The Swedish Transport Workers' Union...
, and subsequently, the Union Representative for Local 820 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1969 until 1979 which was during his employment at Brinks Armored Car Service.
Senator Efrian Gonzalez was married on July 20, 1969 and has four children with his wife.
On August 25, 2006, it was disclosed that Senator Gonzalez had been indicted for mail fraud. He surrendered to federal authorities shortly after his indictment was unsealed, and was subsequently released on $25,000 bail following his arraignment.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez is accused of defrauding the West Bronx Neighborhood Association Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, by using funds donated to the organization in order to pay for over $37,000 in personal expenses. In December 2006, in a new Federal indictment that replaced the August indictment, he was charged with diverting over $400,000 meant for the community not-for-profit to personal expenses, including vacation homes in the Dominican Republic, homes for his wife, mistress, renovations to his mother-in-law's home, Yankees tickets and college tuition for his daughter. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. He was defeated on September 9, 2008 in the Democratic Party primary by Pedro Espada
Pedro Espada
Pedro Espada, Jr. was a Democratic member of the New York Senate for the 33rd Senate District. He was the New York State Senate Majority Leader and Vice President Pro Tempore for Urban Policy of the Senate...
.
On May 25, 2010, Gonzalez was sentenced to 84 months (7 years) in prison, followed by two years supervised release, following pleading guilty to two conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
counts and two wire fraud
Wire fraud
Mail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
counts in May 2009. In April, Judge William H. Pauley III
William H. Pauley III
William H. Pauley III is a United States federal judge.Born in Glen Cove, New York, Pauley received an A.B. from Duke University in 1974 and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1977. He was a law clerk, Office of the Nassau County Attorney, New York from 1977 to 1978. He was a Deputy...
denied a request by Mr. Gonzalez to withdraw his plea.
External links
- Bronx State Senator Surrenders On Fraud Charges
- Inquiry Puts Bronx Senator in an Unfamiliar Place: Under a Spotlight
- Bronx State Senator Indicted In Job Scam
- Capitol Offenses