Brooklyn federal judge dismisses some charges against state senator
A Brooklyn federal judge has dismissed some charges against indicted New York state Sen. John Sampson. Judge Dora Irizarry found that a number of the charges against Sampson were untimely and passed the statute of limitations.
Sampson was indicted earlier this year on counts of embezzlement, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI.
As charged in the indictment, prior to serving in the state Senate, Sampson was a practicing attorney with much of his legal work focusing on the sale of foreclosed properties. Beginning in the late 1990s, Sampson served as a court-appointed referee for foreclosure proceedings conducted by the Kings County Supreme Court. As referee, Sampson controlled escrow accounts holding proceeds of foreclosure sales of Brooklyn properties. Between 1998 and 2008, it is alleged that Sampson embezzled approximately $440,000 in surplus funds from the foreclosure sales of four Brooklyn properties. The prior owners of the Brooklyn properties and other parties with a lawful interest had a right to receive the funds embezzled by Sampson.