Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Edward Walsh Guilty In Scheme To Defraud The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office

Edward M Walsh, Jr. courtesy Newsday

According to the US Attorney's office, Eastern District, "Late this afternoon, following three weeks of trial, a federal jury in Central Islip, returned a guilty verdict against Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Edward M. Walsh, Jr., on charges that he engaged in a scheme to steal wages for regular and overtime hours in connection with his employment with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).  The jury convicted the defendant of both counts of an indictment charging him with theft of government funds and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 666 and 1343, respectively.   

The verdict was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).

At trial, the government successfully proved that from January 2011 to April 2014, Walsh, a SCSO Correction Officer III Investigator, falsely represented to the SCSO that he had worked certain regular and overtime hours when, in fact, he did not work those hours.  Contrary to his representations, the government successfully established that Walsh was, among other things, playing golf, gambling at Foxwoods Casino, or performing work on behalf of the Suffolk County Conservative Party.  In reliance on Walsh’s false representations, the SCSO paid Walsh wages for hours he did not work.  At trial, investigators estimated that Walsh was paid more than $200,000 for regular and overtime hours he did not work. 

“Today’s verdict once again establishes that no one person is above the law.  Edward Walsh abused his position and authority as a political boss to steal from taxpayers in order to fund his personal and political activities.  Now he will be held accountable for his actions,” stated United States Attorney Capers.  “We and our partners in the FBI will continue to root out government corruption and fraud wherever we find it.” 

How much time will he receive in prison? It all depends on the sentencing guideline and what points they hit him with, among other factors. If he would have plead guilty, he would have gotten a three point reduction and certainly face less time. I estimate that he may sit for a few years.

The way newspapers described him as a bully it means that he may have stepped on toes and someone may have ratted him out. When you rise to power, there are a lot jealous people out there who will look for faults to take you down and trust me, we are only human, no one is perfect.

To see what he can expect in prison, go here...http://www.amazon.com/PRISON-expect-Federal-Bureau-Prisons-ebook/dp/B011GTWLOG