An investigation into local development organizations (LDCs) in Monroe County saw four more arrests today. Robert Wiesner, husband of County Executive Maggie Brooks was included in the group facing criminal charges.
Charges brought against the four by the state Attorney General's office include money laundering, conspiracy, and falsifying business records.
Wiesner, a retired Rochester police captain was arraigned Wednesday along with Daniel Lynch, Nelson Rivera, and John Maggio.
All four men pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
The Attorney General’s office claims the group was involved in a scheme to rig the bidding process for multimillion dollar contracts, fraudulently steering tax-payer dollars to specific corporations.
In a statement, A.G. Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli say:
The indictment alleges that the four men colluded to steer the process for awarding Monroe County contracts, funneling money to preferred vendors. Lynch and Maggio conspired to launder roughly $2 million through payments from Navitech Services Corporation to Treadstone Development Corporation. Separately, Lynch laundered more than $100,000 in stolen proceeds from contracts between Catalog & Commerce Solutions and both Siemens Building Technologies and Upstate Telecommunications Corporation (UTC). In both cases, the defendants engineered their schemes by creating fake contracts, inflating subcontracts, and submitting false invoices. The proceeds were used by these individuals for their personal benefit, including luxury golf tournaments and payments to political campaign accounts.
Lynch, president of Treadstone Development and the only member of the group previously charged in relation to the investigation, was indicted on 25 counts.
Maggio, president of Navitech Services Corporation, was indicted on 10 charges; Rivera, a former information manager for the county, on six; and Wiesner on two.
Attorney for Wiesner, James Nobles, says his client is charged with what is essentially bid-rigging, but in the end the case comes down to politics.
“This is a political indictment. They’ve gone after the Brooks administration before with James Smith who was acquitted, with Andy Moore whose case was dismissed, and now they’re going after Maggie Brooks’ husband. It’s as simple as that, there’s nothing to it.”
Wiesner was released on his own recognizance, as were Rivera and Maggio. Only Lynch is being required to post bail.
A date for the trial has yet to be set.