A United States federal judge has set November 18 as the trial date for a Guyanese-born lawyer and politician accused of engaging in a campaign finance fraud scheme and obstruction of justice.
Judge Paul A. Crotty, of the federal district court in the Southern District of New York, said Albert Baldeo, 52, who lives in Queens, New York, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, one count of attempting to commit mail fraud, one count of conspiring to obstruct justice, and one count of obstruction of justice.
In unsealing the fraud and obstruction of justice charges, Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Mary E. Galligan, the Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said Baldeo, a Democratic Male District Leader in Queens, was a 2010 candidate for the New York City Council representing Queens District 28.
Baldeo is accused of participating in a scheme to use straw donors to funnel multiple illegal campaign contributions to his fall 2010 campaign for the City Council “with the intent to fraudulently increase the amount of matching funds provided by the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) to the campaign.”
He is also charged with obstructing the US Government’s investigation of this matter. Baldeo had surrendered to law enforcement authorities on October 24, 2012.
According to the indictment, in the fall of 2010, Baldeo participated in a scheme to defraud New York City that involved the use of straw donors to funnel multiple illegal campaign contributions to his ultimately unsuccessful campaign for City Council.
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