Harendra Singh, the former restaurateur embroiled in the corruption trial of former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and former Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, pleaded guilty in October 2016 and will admit to bribery allegations in the upcoming trials of Mangano and Venditto, according to recently unsealed court documents.
The court documents reveal that Singh “purchased a series of gifts for County Executive Edward Mangano, including a massage chair, an office chair” and he “paid for wood flooring to be installed in the master bedroom of the Mangano’s home.” Singh further stated that he “paid for a watch for one of Mangano’s sons that was worth approximately $7,000” and he “paid for trips for Ed Mangano and the Mangano family.”
Singh further stated, “I paid Linda Mangano [the county executive’s wife] approximately $450,000. During the time I was paying Linda Mangano, she was not required to show up for work and no work product was expected from her. I hired Linda at the request of Ed Mangano and my purpose in hiring her was to influence Ed. Throughout the time of this conspiracy, I also allowed the Mangano family to eat and drink for free at my restaurants.”
Regarding Venditto and the Town of Oyster Bay, Singh “provided him, his family, and other officials with free meals and significantly discounted rates for events at my restaurants and catering halls, free use of [a] conference room and free limousine service.”
“Singh’s decision to cooperate with the government is a desperate move by a man facing decades in prison.”
—Kevin Keating, Ed Mangano’s lawyer
Singh also charged in 2010 and 2015, he gave tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to an unnamed New York City elected official—purportedly Mayor Bill de Blasio—in exchange for actions that would benefit Singh and his restaurants.
“I knew what I was doing was wrong and illegal and I’m profoundly sorry for that,” Singh concluded in his plea statement.
Singh is expected to be a witness in Mangano’s and Venditto’s upcoming corruption trial.
Mangano’s lawyer, Kevin Keating, said that Singh’s allegations are the words of a desperate man looking to save himself.
“Singh’s decision to cooperate with the government is a desperate move by a man facing decades in prison,” said Keating. “The problem is that Singh has now proven himself to be incapable of telling the truth, and the notion that Ed Mangano engaged in official action for Singh in exchange for things of value will be proven false.”
