A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a New York City Council member accused of misdirecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money meant for community projects.
U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson let the jury quit Friday afternoon after it sent him the latest of several notes saying it couldn't decide on the guilt or innocence of 60-year-old Democrat Larry Seabrook.
The evidence included a receipt for a $7 bagel sandwich that prosecutors say had been doctored to put the cost at $177. Prosecutors accused the councilman of using it to make a phony reimbursement request to a political club he controlled.
The jury had been deliberating since Dec. 1. The note said it was deadlocked on all counts.
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Seabrook had denied the charges.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
