Oyster Bay official stays on job after tax evasion plea

Calls are mounting for the Oyster Bay town planning and development commissioner to step down after he pleaded guilty Tuesday to tax evasion. Frederick Ippolito admitted in court that he failed to

News 12 Staff

Jan 28, 2016, 4:25 AM

Updated 3,158 days ago

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Calls are mounting for the Oyster Bay town planning and development commissioner to step down after he pleaded guilty Tuesday to tax evasion.
Frederick Ippolito admitted in court that he failed to pay federal income taxes on $2 million he earned in 2008. Prosecutors say the 77-year-old earned that money while working as a consultant for an Old Bethpage-based paving company.
On Tuesday, Ippolito's attorney Brian Griffin says that tax evasion charges stemmed from income that his client earned before working for the town.
"This charge and this plea cover the year 2008, and in no way is connected to Mr. Ippolito's work with the town," says Griffin. "It also in no way impacts his dedication and service as a public official."
Ippolito's plea deal marks the culmination of just one of the controversies swirling around Town Hall. As News 12 has reported, influential Bethpage-based restauranteur Harendra Singh was charged with bribing a town official.
An Oyster Bay spokesperson told News 12 Long Island on Tuesday that the town didn't have enough information to make a determination on Ippolito's job status as of yet.
Syosset resident Joseph Malone says in the wake of these scandals, he's lost confidence in the town's leadership.
"They'll probably give him a bonus," says Malone.
The Town of Oyster Bay did not provide News 12 Long Island with an update on Ippolito's job status.
Ippolito is facing 18-24 months in prison, but under federal guidelines, he could also be spared any time behind bars.