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Nassau
County District Court judge David Gross, free on $500,000 bond on
federal charges of money laundering and conspiracy, will continue to
receive his full pay even though he has been suspended from judicial
duties.
The
Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the criminal charges against Gross
do not concern his official duties and that their ruling conforms with
Judiciary Law which provides that a “judge or a justice who is
suspended from office by the court shall receive his judicial salary
during such period of suspension unless the court directs otherwise. http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/decisions/sep05/189opn05.pdf
Gross
had been suspended from his duties by the chief administrative judge
and did not contest his suspension but asked that his $122,700 annual
salary be continued because he was his family’s sole wage earner.
Gross
is running for reelection this fall, appearing on the Sept. 13 Primary
ballot. Federal prosecutors said that Gross, who calls himself a
“Law and Order Judge”, was caught on tape by an undercover
FBI agent bragging that he knew how to circumvent political fundraising
laws. He has been charged with federal money-laundering and fencing
charges as part of an FBI organized crime sting focused on illegal
gambling activities.
According
to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, Gross
has been charged with conspiracy to launder $130,000 and conspiracy to
sell $7,000 worth of stolen diamonds. Three alleged organized crime
associates and 11 co-defendants were also arrested on charges ranging
from operating illegal gambling clubs to extortion.
The case is being prosecuted by the Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office. 9-22-05
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