Pedro Espada to plead guilty Friday

Convicted former state Senate power broker Pedro Espada and his son are scheduled to plead guilty in Brooklyn federal court Friday, according to the judge's calendar.

Espada, 59, of Mamaroneck, who was convicted of defrauding his nonprofit Soundview health network in May, and his son Pedro Gautier Espada face several charges that the jury in that trial was unable to resolve.

U.S. District Judge Fredric Block, who was expected to preside over a retrial, listed the scheduled plea for the Espadas on a late afternoon revision of his court calendar.

Espada's attorney, Susan Necheles, could not be reached for comment. The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment or to provide details on the scheduled plea.

Espada was convicted of stealing nearly $500,000 from Soundview by charging personal expenses to the government-subsidized low-income health center, and by siphoning money out through a janitorial company he controlled. But the jury deadlocked on the same charges against the son, and on charges that the two Espadas engaged in a conspiracy.

The two men also face related tax charges in federal court in Manhattan. It is not known if the scheduled plea will dispose of all charges, and one person familiar with the case cautioned that any deal could fall apart before the scheduled appearance today.