Disgraced ex-state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. and his son are expected to plead guilty tomorrow to two serious federal court cases related to their looting more than $500,000 from the Bronx health-care non-profit that Espada founded ostensibly to serve that borough’s poor.
The expected guilty plea deal with prosecutors would resolve both the case in Brooklyn federal court that accused them of swindling that money from the Soundview Healthcare Network to pay for a plush lifestyle and the Manhattan federal court case in which they are accused of failing to pay taxes on that money, sources told The Post.
A Brooklyn federal court jury in May convicted the former Senate majority leader Espada Jr. of four criminal counts in that case, deadlocked on four other counts, and totally deadlocked on the same eight counts facing his son Pedro Gautier “G” Espada. A retrial in that case was on hold until after the end of the Manhattan tax case trial, which was set to start Nov. 5.
The dramatic move to end both cases was indicated in a note today by Brooklyn federal Judge Frederic Block that both Espada Jr. and his Gautier Espada are due in court before him tomorrow for a plea.
Two days ago, in a letter to Manhattan federal court Judge William Pauley, a federal defender in the tax case said that prosecutors “will only negotiate a ‘package’ deal’ for both defendants” — indicating that the Brooklyn feds prosecuting both cases would only accept guilty pleas if both Espadas made them in both courts.