UPDATE: Skelos' Nephew Arrested for Assault After Uncle's Sentencing

UPDATE—Thursday, May 12, 2016, 6 p.m.: The nephew of Dean Skelos was arrested and charged with third-degree assault shortly after his uncle and cousin were sentence on corruption charges.

Police said Basil Skelos, 27, grabbed a Daily News reporter’s cell phone and threw it and also grabbed her wrist, according to an article at nbcnewyork.com.

See the video of the incident at nbcnewyork.com here.

-----------------

Original article:

Former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison.

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Skelos was found guilty of using his position to obtain bribes and extortion payments amounting to $300,000 that were paid to his son Adam Skelos in exchange for the elder Skelos’ official acts.

Adam Skelos, who was convicted at the same time as his father, was sentenced to 6-1/2 years in prison.

Both were sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who also presided over the four-week trial.

Bharara said the public has seen the arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentencing, over just 16 months, of both leaders of the state legislature.

“The near simultaneous convictions of Sheldon Silver and dean Skelos, whose corruption crimes were laid bare during fair and public trials, have no precedent,” he said. “And while Silver and Skelos deserve their prison sentences, the people of New York deserve better.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo said of the sentences that the justice prevailed.

“These sentences show there is zero tolerance for those who use public service for private gain,” he said.

Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said that many other state officials have been arrested, convicted and sentenced to jail over the years.

“Sadly, ethics reforms haven’t happened and probably won’t happen to the degree it should be Albany won’t act,” he said, in a prepared statement.

Feiner said the voters have to take action since the legislators haven’t addressed corruption at the state level.

He said the next real opportunity for actual reform will be in 2017 when state voters will be asked to vote for holding a constitutional convention.

“If New York voters say yes to a constitutional convention,” Feiner said, “then it would be possible for voters to bypass the legislature when it comes to campaign-finance reform.”