NY lawmaker pleads not guilty to U.S. fraud charges
New York Congressman Michael Grimm has pleaded not guilty to a 20-count federal indictment that includes charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and tax fraud.
The Staten Island Republican was arraigned Monday in Brooklyn. He will be released on $400,000 bond.
He is charged with engaging in schemes to underreport wages for restaurant workers, including some who were in the country illegally. He is accused of concealing more than $1 million in sales and wages.
Authorities say that when he was deposed by an attorney representing former employees in a lawsuit, Grimm lied under oath about his allegedly fraudulent business practices.
Authorities allege the fraud occurred from 2007 to 2010. Grimm, a former FBI agent, was elected in 2010 and took office in 2011.