Embattled state Assemblyman William Boyland’s ex-chief of staff is expected to plead guilty tomorrow to political corruption charges connected to her legislative work.
Ry-Ann Hermon was charged with bribery and conspiracy in December 2011 and is scheduled to appear in Brooklyn federal court.
Court papers claim Hermon said she felt “hot” after receiving one of the alleged bribe payments.
Prosecutors say that between August 2010 and August 2011, Hermon,
Boyland and others “conspired to solicit and accept bribes” from a carnival promoter and two undercover FBI agents, whom they believed to be out-of-state businessmen and real estate developers.
As part of the bribery scheme, the feds said Hermon pocketed $2,000 in cash bribes. She’s facing up to 20 years behind bars.
Boyland (D-Brooklyn) said in the Assembly chamber today he was not aware of Hermon’s expected guilty plea and had no comment – but promised to learn more and offer comment after he did.
The Assembly said Hermon left Boyland’s staff Jan. 18, 2012.
Boyland is facing his own upcoming corruption trial and is currently without defense attorneys, protesting that he’s too financially strapped to pay for a lawyer.
Brooklyn prosecutors have said Hermon asked a carnival operator to grease her palm for helping get approval for the same carnival permits for which Boyland allegedly sought payoffs.
“Oh, my God!” Hermon said, according to a secretly recorded meeting when a purported businessman told her he could “make a down payment today if you like” for aiding the carnival operator, court records state.
“I would love that,” Hermon replied.
The businessman — actually an undercover FBI agent — then said, “I come prepared for all contingencies.”
“You just, like, made me hot,” Hermon said before accepting $1,000 as a down payment, court records state. A month later, she allegedly received another $1,000.
In addition to the carnival caper, Hermon is accused of assisting Boyland in soliciting thousands of dollars in bribes so he could pay attorneys who were being hired to represent him in a Manhattan federal court bribery case that was filed last March.
She’s also accused of helping Boyland try to get $250,000 from a purported out-of-state businessmen in exchange for arranging a deal to buy a former hospital in his district for $8 million, renovate it with a state grant, then sell it to a Boyland-controlled nonprofit group for $15 million.
Hermon raised eyebrows when she cheered after Boyland was acquitted on earlier corruption charges, earning her a rebuke from the judge.