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Kaloyeros Sentenced To More Than 3 Years In NY Corruption Scandal

Alain Kaloyeros
Karen DeWitt

The former head of key economic development programs for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, including the Buffalo Billion, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a federal judge Tuesday. Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, who was convicted in July of bid-rigging and other corruption charges, was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.

Kaloyeros was found guilty of helping steer hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded state contracts to favored developers.  

The developers, Louis Ciminelli of Buffalo as well as Steven Aiello and Joe Gerardi of COR Development in Syracuse, all were sentenced to at least two years in prison earlier this month.

Kaloyeros, a Lebanese immigrant who survived the civil war in that country, rose to head the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and is credited with jump starting the nano tech industry in upstate New York.

Governor Cuomo, who once called Kaloyeros his “economic guru” and a “genius” said at the time of Kaloyeros’ conviction that he should be “punished to the full extent of the law.”

Cuomo, a Democrat, was not implicated in the trials and said he did not know the bid-rigging was going on.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of public radio stations in New York state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.
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