Lawmaker, Lawbreaker

The New York appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department imposed automatic disbarment on a former legislator convicted of mail fraud.

Newsday reported on the crimes

Former Nassau Legis. David Denenberg is going to prison for 90 days for bilking a law firm client out of $2.3 million — a sentence the firm criticized as too lenient.

Denenberg, 52, had faced more than 4 years in prison under a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to eight felony counts of mail fraud.

“While he was a lawmaker, he was a lawbreaker,” U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert said during the sentencing Friday in Central Islip.

Looking at Denenberg, she added: “That means during your 15 years as a legislator, you spent eight years stealing.”

But Seybert said she weighed the crimes against Denenberg’s accomplishments, taking about 125 letters of support into account.

The judge lauded the eight-term Merrick Democrat for his commitment and hard work on behalf of Nassau County residents. Acknowledging the leniency of the sentence, Seybert said she didn’t believe Denenberg abused his political office.

Denenberg’s former law firm in Garden City, which uncovered the fraud, wasn’t satisfied with the punishment.

“I think a 3-month jail time is not significant when you consider the impact of the crime,” said Larry Hutcher, comanaging partner of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.

Hutcher said the ripple effect of the crimes on the firm and its employees were “very dramatic and serious.”

Last September, the firm sued Denenberg, who, his lawyer and prosecutors said, has made full restitution to the client, Systemax, a Port Washington computer and electronics retailer.

“We’ve moved on with our lives, and we will live with whatever the court did,” Hutcher said.

Systemax officials could not be reached.

Denenberg billed the company for $2.2 million between November 2006 and last June for “legal services never rendered,” according to court papers. Authorities said he billed the same client for another $126,000 “for expenses never incurred.”

(Mike Frisch)