Federal judge refuses to overturn John Sampson’s conviction

A federal judge in Brooklyn on Friday refused to overturn the corruption conviction of former state Sen. John Sampson, setting the stage for his scheduled sentencing on May 4.

U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry affirmed the jury verdict last year finding that Sampson, a onetime Democratic leader in the Senate, was guilty of obstruction of justice and making false statements during a probe of alleged embezzlement from escrow accounts.

Sampson had challenged the convictions on technical grounds. He was automatically ejected from the Senate after his conviction in July and faces up to 20 years in prison.