ROP

Trial of former deputy Nassau County executive scheduled for June 3

Jessica Parks
Rob Walker (Photo courtesy of Nassau County government)

Rob Walker, the former Nassau County deputy executive, is expected to stand trial on corruption charges in federal court on June 3.

Walker, who served under former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, was charged with lying to an FBI agent and obstruction of justice in February 2018 for allegedly accepting a $5,000 bribe from a county contractor at a Notre Dame football game in 2014.

This is the third rescheduling of the case, which is to be tried in the Eastern District of New York at the Central Islip courthouse.

In December, it was announced that the case would be postponed to April 29. After a court hearing on April 10, the date was moved to its current date. 

Walker was originally scheduled to stand trial in September of last year but U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack, who also presided over the recent corruption case of Mangano and his wife, Linda, said her calendar was too full to conduct Walker’s and Mangano’s cases so close to one another and rescheduled Walker’s trial for Jan. 7, according to Newsday.

The Manganos’ retrial was also then postponed to January due to the discovery of new evidence.  In March they were convicted on corruption charges relating to dealings with Harendra Singh, a local restaurateur, and the Town of Oyster Bay.

Walker’s charges aren’t related to those of the Manganos.

Prosecutors say that once Walker became aware that federal investigators were looking into corruption in Nassau County, he made a number of efforts to reach the unnamed contractor to convince him to hide the payoff.

The pair then met in a Hicksville park where Walker allegedly returned the bribe money to the contractor, who then turned it over to investigators while still at the park, according to the prosecution.

Once Walker was confronted by the FBI, prosecutors say he made a number of false statements including his denial that he ever received cash payments from the contractor.

Walker pleaded not guilty to both charges in February 2018.

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