Former Niagra Falls Mayor indicted
From Sunshine Review
8 November 2008 Vince Anello, former mayor of Niagra Falls, was indicted on four counts by a federal grand jury. He has been charged with conspiracy, obstruction of commerce and depriving Niagra Falls residents their right to honest public service. Anello took $40,000 in loans from a businessman and never reported it to city officials.[1]
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[edit] No-interest, No-repayment loans
In 2003, when Anello was a city councilman, he needed to pay off business debts, but did not want it to get to the media and endanger his chances as a candidate for mayor. He approached Niagra Falls businessman Joseph Anderson, asking for $40,000 in loans. Anderson agreed to give him the loans at no-interest, sending Anello checks in June and July 2003 for $15,000 each, and one in November 2003 for $10,000, right after Anello began his term as mayor.[2] According to court documents, at the end of Anello's term as mayor, Anderson “never asked for repayment of the aforementioned money, and no repayment was made.”
[edit] No-bid contract
A year after Anello received the loans, he helped arrange a deal in which a company that Anderson was principle received a no-bid contract to operate a downtown pedestrian mall. Council members whom Anello asked to award the contract said they never knew about the loans. U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn said, "It’s very disconcerting that anyone could enter into such arrangements and think that it should not be disclosed to the Council or the public. If you’re a public official, it makes sense to disclose this kind of information. It’s astounding to me that they would think that it wasn’t appropriate to disclose it.”[2]
Anello's attorney, Joel L. Daniels, asserted his client's innocence, “[Anello] looks forward to this trial, and the case will be tried. No plea deals. No cop-outs. For the past five years, he’s maintained that he did nothing wrong and didn’t commit a crime. The fact that Joe Anderson pleaded guilty doesn’t change that.”[2] If found guilty, Anello could face 30 months in jail.
[edit] Anderson pleads guilty
Anderson pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the case, promising to cooperate in the case against Anello.[1] Since 1993, he has given over $117,300 to local politicians.[3]
