Plea Deal For Thomas Still On The Table?

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A plea deal that would include resignation but not jail time is on the table for Mayor Richard Thomas. But his lawyers aren't saying much about it, according to The Journal News.

Thomas was indicted in May on the corruption case revealed in March.

The lawyers now representing Thomas appeared to scoff at the deal proposal. Attorney Michael Pizzi, told TJN reporter Jon Bandler their focus was on the mayor's vindication in court.

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Former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli alleged last spring among other things that Thomas stole $12,900 from his campaign committee, and diverted over $45,000 from his inaugural committee for personal use.

Among the acts alleged by the AG's office were using campaign and inaugural funds to help pay off personal expenses including car payments on a Volkswagen and a Ford Explorer, insurance policies, rent and a Chanel purse valued at $2,000. In addition, after winning election, Thomas used his campaign's American Express card to pay for two airport meals when he took his family on vacation to Mexico. He is alleged to have tried to disguise the purpose and location of the meals.

That includes a family breakfast at JFK Airport that Thomas listed on FORT's NYSBOE 2016 January Periodic filing as a housekeeping expense for "food"; Thomas is alleged to have listed the restaurant's corporate address, 352 Park Avenue in Manhattan, on the disclosure as the place of expenditure. The complaint also alleges that Thomas falsely disclosed a meal at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant in Mexico, using the address of the Bubba Gump restaurant located in Times Square in Manhattan and falsely designating the meal as a "volunteer appreciation" event.

After the inauguration, Schneiderman said the pattern of corruption changed but did not end. He alleged a local person paid off about $7,000 on Thomas's Amex account and was then appointed to a high-ranking law enforcement position in the city. Schneiderman alleged Thomas did not file information about it with the city ethics commission.

That person is Joseph Spezio, a Thomas advisor whose companies are represented in Florida civil matters by Pizzi and Ben Kuehne. Thomas switched his attorneys to Pizzi and Kuehne in December after Westchester County Judge Barry Warhit allowed them to be admitted to practice in New York, The Journal News reported.

SEE ALSO: Mount Vernon Mayor Indicted

PHOTO: Mayor Richard Thomas/ screenshot from Thomas video