N.Y. Lawmaker Boyland Convicted on Nonprofit-Fraud Charge

A leading Brooklyn politician was found guilty Thursday on multiple corruption charges, including an allegation that he steered state money to a charity he controlled for his own use, reports The New York Times.

New York State Assemblyman William F. Boyland Jr., the son and nephew of state legislators and the brother of a former New York City councilwoman, was convicted after a four-week federal court trial in which jurors saw video of him requesting money for political favors. He faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced in June.

A May 2013 indictment accused Mr. Boyland of using taxpayer funds he directed to a senior-care charity to boost his own political fortunes. His former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty to bribery charges and cooperated with prosecutors, testified that he pressured the nonprofit, Wayside Outreach Development, to spend more than $50,000 in state funds on a boat cruise for his voters.

Mr. Boyland was acquitted in November 2011 on charges that he took money from the nonprofit MediSys Health Network in exchange for politically supporting the hospital system. Former MediSys chief executive David P. Rosen had been found guilty of bribing lawmakers two months earlier.