Nelson Castro (politician)

Nelson Castro (born January 25, 1972) is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, he was first elected to the New York State Assembly in District 86 in 2008. Castro resigned from office in 2013 after pleading guilty to perjury charges. He is notable for having worn a wire as an FBI informant while serving in elected office; in so doing, he assisted the federal government in prosecuting other corrupt elected officials.

Nelson Castro
Member of the New York House of Representatives
from the 86th district
In office
2009–2013
Preceded byLuis Diaz
Succeeded byVictor M. Pichardo

Political career

In 2008, Castro--a Democrat--was first elected to the New York State Assembly in District 86;[1] the district includes the University Heights, Tremont, and Fordham sections of the Bronx.[2] He succeeded Luis Diaz and became the first Dominican to represent the Bronx in the State Assembly.[3][4] In July 2009, the Bronx County District Attorney charged Castro with perjury.[5] The charges were kept secret, and Castro agreed to cooperate with the Bronx County District Attorney and later with the FBI.[5] Castro proceeded to win re-election in 2010 and 2012, but was living a "double life" as an FBI informant during that time.[6] Information obtained by Castro was used to prosecute six other corrupt elected officials. While Castro's original deal did not involve jail time, he was charged in 2013 with lying to investigators. In 2013, Castro's role as an FBI informant became public knowledge during the scandal affecting his Assembly colleague, Eric Stevenson.[6] Castro resigned his Assembly seat on April 8, 2013.[7] He later pleaded guilty to the 2009 state charges and the 2013 federal charge against him. In September 2014, Castro received a sentence of two years' probation and 500 hours of community service for his federal crimes.[1] On November 17, 2014, Castro was given a three-year conditional discharge for his state crimes.[8]

References
  1. Weiser, Benjamin (September 12, 2014). "Former Assemblyman Turned Informer Avoids Prison". The New York Times. p. A28. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  2. King, David Howard. "The Castro Legacy: Corruption Haunts Assembly District Race". Gotham Gazette.
  3. "Hector Ramirez to Challenge Nelson Castro in 86th Assembly District". Norwood News. December 3, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. "Under Indictment, Castro Helps Build Corruption Case". Norwood News. April 22, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  5. Weiser, Benjamin; Santora, Marc (April 5, 2013). "In 2nd Alleged Bribe Scheme, a Legislator Was in on the Case". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  6. Hu, Winnie (April 11, 2013). "Informer in Assembly, Accused of Perjury, Apologizes". p. A19. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  7. Gonzalez, Juan (April 5, 2013). "Nelson Castro's life of crime primed him for a career in politics". nydailynews.com. New York Daily News. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  8. Kochman, Ben (November 17, 2014). "Tarnished Bronx politician, Albany informer Nelson Castro escapes prison for perjury, vows new career selling lightbulbs". nydailynews.com. New York Daily News. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
New York State Assembly
Preceded by
Luis Diaz		 New York State Assembly, 86th District
2009–2013		 Succeeded by
Victor M. Pichardo
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