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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 16 – A now-former Longshoremens Association local president, Glenn Blicht, on October 16 pleaded guilty in connection with illegal payments. He agreed to forfeit $150,000 and to a sentence up to 30 months in jail.

    It was back on July 26 that Blicht was presented in Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. First Inner City Press story here.

    The initially seal complain by Department of Labor Special Agent Stephen Donnelly said that in early 2019 after Cooperating Witness 1 "had not paid Blicht for some time, Blicht sent a text message to CW-1, stating 'I don't appreciate being avoided... lose my number. It's been going on for over 2 weeks. I'm filing charges with the NLRB!!!"

    Blicht was released by Magistrate Judge Stewart Aaron on $100,000 bond, and as recently as September 5 appeared in front of District Judge Analisa Torres along with his lawyer Telemach "Tim" Kasulis, describing the production of discovery by Assistant US Attorney Michael D. Neff. Less than two months later, the guilty plea.

    At the change of plea proceeding, with Inner City Press one of four people in the gallery, AUSA Neff said if it had gone to trial the government had photographs of bribe money, and $10,000 in bribe money found on the defendant's person when he was arrested. Blicht apologize to the member of Longshoremen's Local 1964, from which he said he has resigned.

   There was no move to change Blicht's bail condition. Inner City Press will continue to cover this case, as it said before. The case is US v. Blicht, 19-cr-00591 (Torres).

SW