Former Brooklyn Bar President Reich, Sentenced For Taking Bribes

The former president of the Brooklyn Bar Association and chairman of the group’s Judiciary Committee for 27 years has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for accepting bribes totaling $10,500 as a court-appointed referee.
Reich, 68, had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in March in a plea deal with federal prosecutors, acknowledging that he had accepted bribes between May 2002 and June 2003 to lower the purchase prices in connection with auctions of three properties he had been appointed by the Brooklyn court to oversee. He had been indicted with 16 counts and arrested in December, 2003.
He also admitted to making a false statement in an affidavit in regard to the investigation.
Reich, whose pre sentencing report shows has $1.6 million in personal accounts, has already paid $10,500 in restitution. He was also fined $75,000 by Eastern District Judge John Gleeson.

According to court records, the FBI had pressed Reich to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into judicial corruption in Brooklyn but Reich refused, saying he no knowledge of any wrongdoing by Brooklyn judges.

In imposing the less than minimum sentence, Gleeson said he had taken Reich’s age, health and agreement to pay restitution into consideration.