Former Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco ordered to go to prison

A Manhattan federal judge has denied the request of former top Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco to stay out of prison pending his appeal.

Judge Valerie Caproni issued a ruling Friday morning stating that Percoco — who was convicted in March 2018 on corruption charges — cannot remain out on bail while his appeal case is decided and must surrender to federal custody March 1 to begin serving his six-year prison term.

Percoco — who was once so close to Cuomo, he was likened to a brother — was found guilty of accepting $300,000 in bribes from two energy companies that had business before the state.

He was acquitted on extortion charges and of soliciting bribes from Syracuse-based COR Development Co.

Caproni also denied a similar request from Percoco’s co-defendant, Steven Aiello, ruling that he, too, must surrender at the beginning of next month to start his three-year sentence.

Aiello, the president of COR, was convicted of conspiracy to commit honest-services fraud while acquitted on charges of paying bribes and lying to the feds.

In a second trial, Aiello was convicted in a bid-rigging scheme.

Lawyers for the pair did not immediately return requests for comment.

A lawyer for Percoco, Walter Loughlin, said, “We are reviewing the decision and intend to appeal the denial of bail.”

Aiello’s lawyer, Scott Iseman, said, “Mr. Aiello will appeal the decision and seek bail pending appeal from the Second Circuit.”

https://nypost.com/2019/02/08/former-cuomo-aide-joseph-percoco-ordered-to-go-to-prison/