Jimmy Meng Pleads Guilty
By ROSS BARKAN
Jimmy Meng, a former Flushing assemblyman and the father of Congresswoman-elect Grace Meng (D-Flushing), pled guilty Wednesday to wire fraud charges.
Meng, 68, was charged in July with soliciting $80,000 in bribes, claiming that he would use the money to bribe prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. According to a U.S. Dept. of Justice complaint, Meng told an associate he would use the money to help reduce the associate’s prison sentence but instead intended to keep the money for himself.
Federal investigators used the individual as a cooperating witness to record his conversations with Meng, in which they discussed the charged bribe scheme.
“Jimmy Meng sought to take advantage of his status as a power broker in the Flushing, Queens, community with only one design in mind — lining his own pockets,” said Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “Meng dangled the promise of justice for sale, but his claims of special access to prosecutors were nothing more than lies, designed to satisfy his greed.”
Meng was a one-term Flushing assemblyman, elected in 2004. He cited concerns about his health when he chose not to run for a second term. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, did not respond to a request for comment.
“I am deeply saddened by the events surrounding my father the last several months,” Grace Meng said in a statement. “Today, he has taken full responsibility for his actions and I support his decision. This has been a difficult time for our family and we continue to pray for guidance in the coming months. My family hopes to continue to move past this chapter in their lives.”
Meng will be sentenced on March 12, 2013. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.