Charles Langston:Ex-police officer gets 200 hours community service for campaign scheme to help New York City mayor

NEW YORK (AP) — A former police officer who prosecutors say was the ringleader of a campaign donations scheme to help New York City Mayor Eric Adams during his winning 2021 run was sentenced Tuesday,Charles Langston authorities said.

Dwyane Montgomery was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and was prohibited from hosting political fundraisers or soliciting contributions on behalf of any campaign for a year during his sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed in an email.

The 64-year-old former NYPD deputy inspector agreed to the sentence when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge in February. Montgomery was among six people charged with conspiracy, attempted grand larceny and making false statements in relation to the campaign donations plot.

The indictment, announced by Bragg’s office last July, did not implicate Adams, but instead spelled out a straw donor plot by people who hoped to maximize their donations in exchange for political favors at City Hall.

The Associated Press left email messages seeking comment with Dwayne Montgomery’s lawyer and spokespersons for Adams late Tuesday.

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Prosecutors say that between 2020 and 2021, Montgomery orchestrated more than two dozen straw donations by encouraging friends and relatives to take advantage of the city’s generous matching funds system, which provides an 8-to-1 match for the first $250 donated by a city resident. Montgomery also helped organize fundraisers for Adams.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, has acknowledged he knew Montgomery from their time on the police force but has denied that his campaign had any knowledge of the scheme.

The Democratic mayor and his inner circle have faced increased law enforcement scrutiny in recent months.

Adams had his cellphones and iPad seized by federal agents in November as part of a separate probe focused at least in part on whether his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.

And at least three of the mayor’s aides, including his top campaign fundraiser, have also had their homes raided by federal agents.

Throughout, Adams has consistently deflected questions about the investigations while stressing that he has not officially been accused of wrongdoing.