Former New York State Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo Convicted of Attempted...

Former New York State Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo Convicted of
Attempted Extortion and Bribery

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former New York State Supreme
Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo was convicted today by a federal jury in
Albany, N.Y., of attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe, Assistant
Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and Special Agent in
Charge John F. Pikus of the FBI's Albany office announced.

Spargo, 66, was convicted following a three-day jury trial. Evidenced
introduced at trial showed that on Nov. 13, 2003, Spargo solicited a $10,000
payment from an attorney with cases pending before him in Ulster County, while
Spargo was serving as a state supreme court justice. The trial evidence
showed that when the attorney declined to pay the money, Spargo increased the
pressure by a second solicitation communicated through an associate.
According to evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 19, 2003, Spargo directly
told the attorney in a telephone conversation that he and another judge close
to him had been assigned to handle cases in Ulster County, including the
attorney's personal divorce case. According to the evidence at trial, the
attorney felt that if he did not pay the money, both the cases handled by his
law firm and his personal divorce proceeding would be in jeopardy.

"It is a sad day indeed when a judge breaks the laws that he is sworn to
enforce," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer. "The Criminal
Division's Public Integrity Section will continue in its singular mission to
hold accountable wayward public officials who violate the law and the trust
that has been placed in them."

"Judges are supposed to serve the people who elected them, not their own
self-interests. What Mr. Spargo did is nothing more than old fashioned
extortion," said FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Pikus.

The maximum statutory penalty for the charge of soliciting a bribe is 10 years
in prison and the maximum penalty for the charge of attempted extortion is 20
years. Spargo also faces a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count on which
he was convicted.

This case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Richard C. Pilger and
Trial Attorney M. Kendall Day of the Public Integrity Section, which is headed
by Chief William M. Welch II. The case was investigated by the FBI's Albany
Division.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD
+1-202-514-1888