Councilman Convicted of Charity and Government Fraud

by Gary Snyder


City Councilman Larry B. Seabrook, a mainstay of Bronx politics for nearly three decades, was convicted of orchestrating a broad corruption scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in city money to his relatives, friends and a girlfriend through a network of nonprofit organizations that he controlled.  He was charged with engaging in a series of schemes that defrauded the city of more than $1 million in taxpayer money. 


Mr. Seabrook installed Gloria Jones-Grant, his girlfriend, as executive director of the nonprofit organizations even though he knew she was “incompetent,” and that through those positions and consulting, she received more than $300,000 in city money. He was charged with embezzling over $1 million of city money. A government trial exhibit shows the nonprofit groups made payments of more than $600,000 to Mr. Seabrook’s relatives and friends, including two of his sisters, a brother, two nephews, a granddaughter as well as Ms. Jones-Grant. Mr. Seabrook arranged for the nonprofit groups to rent office space through another company he controlled, which then billed the city at a higher price. The inflated rent scheme defrauded the city of about $100,000. (link) Seabrook was a former assemblyman and state senator and has served on the City Council since 2002.




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