State housing chief pleads guilty to DWI

MOUNT VERNON -- New York State's housing commissioner has pleaded guilty to drunken driving.

Darryl Towns, 50, admitted Monday that he was driving while intoxicated when he crashed his car July 3 on an exit ramp in Mount Vernon.

Towns was sentenced in City Court to a one-year conditional discharge, which means the charge will be dropped if he stays out of trouble.

His driver's license was revoked for six months. Towns must pay $895 in fines and surcharges. He also must attend a victim-impact program.

At a news conference in Albany, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo wouldn't say whether Towns would be disciplined. He said he wants to examine the case first.

Towns is a former state assemblyman from Brooklyn and is the son of U.S. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn).

-- AP