Former State Senator Nick Spano Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Spano is accused of under-reporting income from 2000 through 2008, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Former Republican State Sen. Nick Spano pleaded guilty Friday to federal tax evasion.

Spano, of Westchester, is accused of under reporting income from 2000 through 2008. He appeared Friday in federal court in White Plains and admitted he had obstructed tax laws.

He confessed that he failed to report consultant fees and a real estate commission. He also said a corporation he controlled claimed improper deductions.

The plea agreement indicates he is expected to be sentenced to 12 to 18 months in prison. Sentencing is set for June 11.

A longtime politician, Spano served in the state Senate from 1986 to 2006. In 2004, Spano won re-election by only 18 votes in a contested election against Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Two years later, in 2006, he lost the seat to Stewart-Cousins.

While in the Senate, Spano served on the Finance and Investigations Committee.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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