Archenemy of MMA in NY is arrested by the FBI

New York is the last state in North America where MMA remains unregulated. Standing in the way year after year is New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. As a consequence NY is denied the millions that cities reap when the UFC shows up, hundreds of fighters from first timers to Chris Weidman cannot compete in their home state, and worse. Amateur fighters are competing in unregulated events with Hep C and HIV.

Now the NY times reports that the roadblock is under arrest.

The powerful speaker of the New York State Assembly, Sheldon Silver, surrendered to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents early Thursday morning in Lower Manhattan.

In a five-count criminal complaint outlining the charges, Mr. Silver is accused of “using the power and influence of his official position to obtain for himself millions of dollars of bribes and kickbacks masked as legitimate income.”

The complaint maintains that for more than a decade, Mr. Silver devised a scheme “to induce real estate developers with business before the state” to use a real estate law firm controlled by a lawyer who had once worked as Mr. Silver’s counsel who orchestrated payments to the speaker for referrals to the firm.

The complaint said that “there is probable cause to believe that Silver received approximately $4 million in payments characterized as attorney referral fees solely through the corrupt use of his official position.”

Prosecutors, according to the complaint, said that Mr. Silver did essentially no work for the payments.

Prosecutors seized approximately $3.8 million of Mr. Silver’s money on Thursday morning.

State Senator Brad Hoylman, a Democrat from Manhattan, took to Twitter on Thursday to call for Mr. Silver’s resignation.

“Speaker Silver should resign for the good of the people of New York,” he wrote.

State lawmakers who are arrested can continue to serve. Upon conviction of a felony they must leave office.

Mr. Silver, before entering 26 Federal Plaza, said, “I hope I’ll be vindicated.”



http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/nyregion/speaker-of-new-york-assembly-sheldon-silver-is-arrested-in-corruption-case.html?_r=1