Judge drops 2 charges against Williams

A judge Monday dismissed two charges against former Nassau County legislator Patrick Williams in a corruption case against him and three other former government officials.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Alan Honorof dismissed a charge of offering a false instrument for filing and the least serious of three grand larceny counts. Williams, of Uniondale, indicted in July 2010, still faces two counts of grand larceny, one count of attempted grand larceny, three counts of conspiracy, two counts of falsifying business records and one count of scheme to defraud.

Nassau Assistant District Attorney Teresa Corrigan told Honorof Monday pursuing the two charges, related to a federal tax issue, would require introducing massive amounts of documents. That would extend the trial, already in its fourth month. She did not object to the counts being thrown out.

Prosecutors allege Williams, a former banker, took part in a scheme to steer work to the developer of a New Cassel project in exchange for a total of $400,000 in bribes. They charge Williams collected $180,000 by falsely claiming to have exclusive rights to negotiate on behalf of a bank willing to become part of the project.

Williams' attorney has said he did in fact have such rights and an agreement.Williams resigned from the county legislature in July 2002. He was sentenced to 6 months of home detention on federal conspiracy charges for falsely inflating home buyers' incomes to help them obtain mortgages.