Former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's resentencing on corruption charges delayed until December, judge says

Ex-Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano will have to wait until December to find out if he'll get a reprieve on his 12-year prison sentence for corruptly orchestrating a municipal loan guarantee for one of his friends in exchange for a slew of bribes — a conviction that was partially overturned by an appeals court earlier this year. 

U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack has approved a request from Mangano’s defense to delay the resentencing to update his presentencing report, which is prepared by the Probation Department.

Azrack set the resentencing for Dec. 4 — the same day Mangano is currently scheduled to be released from prison in 2031. His resentencing was previously set for Oct. 9.

In an Aug. 12 letter, Mangano attorney Morris J. Fodeman asked for the delay so the presentencing report could be updated, "particularly the sections addressing his personal history and circumstances, so that the report reflects current and relevant information for the Court’s sentencing determination."

A spokesperson for the Eastern District of New York prosecutors has said they plan to ask the court to reimpose Mangano's 12-year sentence. Mangano's attorneys have not yet said publicly how much of a sentence reduction they plan to seek. 

Fodeman also asked for a 30-day adjournment once the report is completed so that the parties to the case can file any objections to the report and probation has time to respond.

Fodeman noted Mangano’s defense was working with FMC Devens, the Bureau of Prisons facility in Massachusetts where he is currently being held, "to have that telephone conference later this week or early next week."

In 2019, a jury convicted Mangano on multiple corruption charges, finding he directed Oyster Bay Town officials to indirectly back what amounted to $20 million in loans for restaurateur and town concessionaire Harendra Singh, who was also a family friend.

In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed Mangano’s conviction on two bribery counts — federal programs bribery and conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery for a Town of Oyster Bay loan scheme — concluding that Mangano, then an elected official for Nassau County, was not "an agent" of the town — which is a requirement of the statute.

The appeals court, however, affirmed Mangano’s convictions on counts of honest services fraud and other charges.

Mangano’s defense has said it plans to petition the nation’s highest court to review his conviction, arguing the honest services fraud charge should also be overturned because Mangano "undisputedly owed no fiduciary duty" to Oyster Bay.

Mangano took several bribes in exchange for helping secure the indirect loan guarantees, including a $454,000 "no-show" job for his wife, free meals and vacations, two luxury chairs, hardwood flooring for the couple’s bedroom and a $7,300 wristwatch for one of their sons, Singh testified at trial. 

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.