Jury Convicts Long Beach Councilman on Multiple Felonies
Michael Fagen faces maximum of 4 years in prison.
Councilman Michael Fagen.
Long Beach City Councilman Michael Fagen was found guilty on charges that he illegally collected unemployment benefits in 2010 while he was employed by the City of Long Beach as a council member.
After a week of deliberations, the jurors at Nassau County Court in Mineola on Tuesday found Fagen guilty on 18 of 38 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny, said Chris Munzing, a spokesman for the Nassau County District Attorneys Office.
“The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining 20 counts and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the top count of third-degree grand larceny,” Munzing told Patch.
Fagen, 56, faces a maximum of 4 years in jail. He will be sentenced by Judge Meryl Berkowitz on April 8.
District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement that Fagen began receiving $405 per week in unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) in September 2009. In November 2009, Fagen was elected to a four-year term as a Long Beach city councilman, a full-time position, and began receiving a yearly salary of $19,828 upon his inauguration in January 2010, Rice said.
Fagen failed to disclose his government employment to the DOL, as well as his employment as a salesman for a hotel membership benefits company while continuing to receive undeserved unemployment benefits, and after his inauguration he falsely certified that he was unemployed to the DOL, according to Rice.
“Elected officials are expected to put their communities and constituents first, not look for ways to pad their wallets at the expense of those they represent,” Rice stated. “Mr. Fagen violated the trust of Long Beach residents.”
Fagen's term on the council expires in November. According to the City Charter, the governor can remove a council member in Long Beach and the vacancy may be filled by the majority of the council.
Fagen and his attorney Marc Gann were unavailable for comments Tuesday afternoon.
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AEA President June 18, 2013 at 04:46 pm
yes - by sheer coincidence, their employees work more overtime than ever before in their last 3…Read More years of employment before retirement (as it so happens, their pension is based in part on their last 3 years of employment).
Jack Kett June 18, 2013 at 07:41 pm
Bottom line re: LIRR is that people in suburbs who ride LIRR and Metro North are paying to subsidize…Read More the bankrupt NYC Subways and subsidize minority riders in the outer boros. Its the price we pay to not live in NYC. The subways charges a cheap fixed fare to subsidize low income NYC residents. Its a form of socialism.
Joe June 18, 2013 at 08:19 pm
Jack, racist much? Why don't you go have a tea party with the rest of the little Republican girls?
Eddie June 18, 2013 at 02:55 pm
Great photos, Richard. With joists like those, you could drive a firetruck up that thing!
Eugene Torres June 17, 2013 at 07:57 am
Heron St is like a bombed out war zone. Many of the residents
drive the wrong way to avoid the…Read More potholes at the beginning of the street.
Charlie Cheswick June 18, 2013 at 03:13 pm
"Working" storm drains like the one between Regent & Greenway on Lido Blvd?
Susie Pennachio June 15, 2013 at 09:13 am
yeeeepppp i always see people trying to get thru it or go around it to get onto the beach
Jaime Sumersille (Editor) June 15, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Thanks for the notice, Ally! I posted this on Facebook to make people aware! - Jaime Sumersille,…Read More Regional Editor, Nassau County
RackEmUp Gomez June 14, 2013 at 03:55 pm
Those murderers from Boston were students, right?
How about importing some kids from Brooklyn that…Read More need help?
Lets stop being patsys.
Me June 13, 2013 at 08:49 pm
What would be the basis for that demand? The govt only has to turn over exculpatory evidence or…Read More evidence it intends to use against a defendant and as far as I know in a civil matter (especially divorce) the govt is generally not a party to the action so how would they be compelled to do so?
oceanview June 14, 2013 at 10:43 am
Did Grace Industries have the contract for the firehouse in the west end?
RackEmUp Gomez June 17, 2013 at 11:36 pm
How about the THOUSANDS of illegal apartments being rebuilt with FEDERAL money?
Who gives a rats…Read More ass about the boardwalk?
Lets get the multi-millions in untaxed cash from these thieving landlords.
RackEmUp Gomez June 14, 2013 at 05:55 pm
I dont agree with all or even most of Harveys politics but there is NO doubt that he is one the…Read More greatest benefactors to Long Beach in its history.......maybe THE greatest.
When he is gone the Tea Party scumbags that want to kill the sandy Bill in 2014 and also send your flood insurance off the charts will have one less voice speaking out against it.
LI Resistance June 16, 2013 at 09:17 pm
When Harvey is gone we will have less wasted money from the tax payers. Harvey is our benefactor…Read More using our own tax money you idiots.
anonymous June 17, 2013 at 01:54 am
You guys still don't get it...yes...Harvey brings back "our" money. But why are he and the…Read More rest of the politicians taking it in the first place? These politicians have you so bamboozled that as they bleed us dry you thank them for the privilege of doing it. All they have to do is say "it's for the children" and you take leave of your brains. Unbelievable...
RackEmUp Gomez June 14, 2013 at 09:16 pm
If one of the 17 was your son you may not be so flippant , you moron.
oceanview June 13, 2013 at 11:26 am
Who let these people run the shelter. They looked like con artists right from the start.
andy napolitano June 13, 2013 at 01:16 pm
@BSM if you read the post you would see it tells you to go to a Facebook site called Rescue Ink =…Read More The Facts. On this site there is a copy of Rescue Inks's 2011 tax form which is public information. It shows right on that tax form how they only paid 6% of their income for the animals. Also it is in the contract (also public information) with the City Of Long Beach, that Rescue Ink is just "running" the shelter. The building is owned & maintained by the City which also pays all utilities & vet bills. You should do a little research yourself before you question us. We could never put up these "facts" unless they were true.
It does not seem like there are many who serve on the council for more than 2,4,6 years.......
2. I was stating the facts, he and his supporters are claiming he is innocent of the charges and that their is a left wing conspiracy that wants to see him fall from grace. 3. Yes, I bear witness to the fact that Councilman Fagen was on the front lines in the Waldbaums parking lot 3 months ago helping soldiers give out food and rations. 4. Peace to all and to all a good day. Be good to each Long Beacher and they will be good to you also.
I can't understand the jury coming to the conclusion that he was guilty of 20 out of 38 counts. Makes no sense to me. He was either employed, or he wasn't. It was either full time, or part time. We all know that this is a part time position. Mostly everyone that sits on the council has another job. Who can live in Long Beach on just $19,000 per year??? We can all thank Mike Fagen for trying to do his best to shed light on the corruption in this town, and sacrificing his own life to do so.