Guiltalicious: N.Y. Congressman to Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion

(Bloomberg) -- New York Representative Michael Grimm reportedly will plead guilty to a single count of tax evasion less than two months after winning re-election to Congress.

The Staten Island Republican is due to appear in a Brooklyn courtroom at 1 p.m. Tuesday to enter his plea, the New York Times reported.  In April, Grimm was indicted on 20 counts by federal prosecutors for crimes they said stemmed from ownership of the Upper East Side restaurant, Healthalicious.

The news of his expected plea was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Grimm won re-election by 13 points over former Democratic city council member Domenic Recchia in a race that spawned some of the most extraordinary newspaper endorsements of recent memory. "Should he be convicted, Grimm has promised to resign, paving the way for a match between two fresh candidates. All the better," the Daily News wrote in its grudging support of the congressman.

Asked during an October debate whether he would step down if found guilty at the trial that was to begin in February, Grimm responded, "Certainly, if I was not able to serve, then of course I would step aside and there would be a special election."

It remains to be seen whether Grimm, a former FBI agent and U.S. Marine who had maintained his innocence, will hold himself to account after he enters his guilty plea.  

Prosecutors said Grimm kept two sets of books, hiding more than $1 million in salaries and wages, the Daily News reported. Grimm faces a maximum prison sentence of three years, but as a first-time offender could be spared any time behind bars.

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