State Sen. John Sampson charged with embezzlement

May 6, 2013 By Tom Hayes Associated Press

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State Sen. John Sampson has been indicted on charges of embezzlement, obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI.

Sampson was a court-appointed referee to watch over escrow accounts for sales of foreclosed properties in Brooklyn. It’s alleged he embezzled $440,000 between 1998 and 2008.

He’s also accused of funneling funds into his failed campaign for Brooklyn DA.

There was no immediate response to a message left Monday for Sampson’s attorney.

Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Sampson has been stripped of his ranking positions and committee assignments.

The arrest came less than a week after prosecutors revealed that former Sen. Shirley Huntley made numerous secret recordings of other elected officials in a bid for leniency in her own corruption case.