The feds are going after the pensions of four corrupt politicians who failed to forfeit ill-gotten gains after they were convicted.
US Attorney Preet Bharara announced Tuesday that his office is filing applications to forfeit the pensions of former City Council members Larry Seabrook and Miguel Martinez.
The filings also seek court orders to locate pensions benefits already received by former Councilman Hiram Monserrate and former Yonkers Councilman Sandy Annabi.
All four had been ordered to forfeit money when they were convicted of corruption offenses committed from 2009 to 2012. But none of the four has made a single payment, Bharara said.
Seabrook, sentenced to five years in jail, was ordered to forfeit more than $418,000. Martinez, also sentenced to five years, was ordered to forfeit more than $106,000.
Both are vested members of the New York City Employee Retirement System. Seabrook is receiving his pension and Martinez will be eligible to receive when he turns 57, Bharara said. He is seeking a court order to block the pensions until the forfeitures are paid.
Annabi, sentenced to six years, was ordered to pay more than $1.27 million. Monserrate, sentenced to two years, was ordered to forfeit more than $79,000.
Both “are believed to have terminated their pension memberships” and received payouts, the prosecutor said. Tuesday’s filings seek discovery requests to locate the paid out money and have it paid to satisfy the forfeit orders.
“With today’s actions, we aim to prevent corrupt elected officials from continuing to benefit from pensions paid for by the very people they betrayed in office,” Bharara said.