We’re a bit late to this one, but local muck this rich only comes along so often: A city councilman from the Bronx who was slapped with a 13-count corruption indictment this month is alleged to have sought $177 reimbursement for a soda and bagel sandwich he bought for $7 outside city hall in New York.
The bagel sandwich enters the picture in the allegations against Councilman Larry Seabrook as part of his alleged scheme to launder bribe money associated with a 2006 boiler contract at the new Yankee Stadium.
Seabrook allegedly solicited $50,000 in bribes from the executive of a Bronx boiler company in exchange for (successfully) lobbying the Yankees to award the contract to the company. The money was allegedly directed to a political club Seabrook controlled.
To get the money from the club to his personal account, Seabrook allegedly submitted receipts for expenses associated with club work. The press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York explains the bagel sandwich incident:
In support of his claims for reimbursement for purported Political Club-related expenditures, SEABROOK submitted a number of forged or doctored receipts. In one example, SEABROOK submitted a receipt for a bagel sandwich and diet beverage that he had purchased near City Hall. The original cost of this purchase was approximately $7, but the receipt had been doctored so that the cost of the purchase appeared to be approximately $177.
Seabrook is also accused of using the local equivalent of earmarks to direct over $1 million of city money to non-profits controlled by his girlfriend and various members of his family.
He faces charges of extortion, money laundering, and mail and wire fraud.