Philly DA Williams pleads to bribery, resigns as prison looms
Channel: mohy mostafa
Date: 2017-06-30

June 30 (UPI) — Philadelphia District Attorney
 R. Seth Williams resigned from office Thursday 
after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in a federal corruption 
case that now has him facing prison time.
Williams brought a sudden end 
to the case at Philadelphia’s James A. Byrne Federal
 Courthouse as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors
 — which mandated he plead to one count of bribery and
 resign from office immediately.

After the plea, Williams 
appealed to U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond that he be allowed to remain free on bond 
until his sentencing in four months, but that request was
 denied. The former D.A.
Williams said he is strapped for cash and could
 not afford to flee — a remark the judge didn’t buy
.

“I have a guilty plea from the highest law officer
 in the city that he betrayed his office and he sold his
 office,” Diamond replied to Williams’ bond request. 
“I am appalled by the evidence that I heard.

“I simply 
do not credit this defendant’s testimony. I do not believe
 him.”

In making his plea, which followed a full week of trial
 proceedings, Williams admitted he accepted bribes from a Bucks
 County businessman in return for favors he could grant as
 Philadelphia’s top prosecutor. Among the gifts were
 a trip to the Caribbean worth $6,000 
for Williams and a girlfriend, a Louis Vuitton neck tie, a Burberry watch, $7,000 in cash, 
a $3,000 couch and pricey meals. In return, 
Williams helped the businessman with security 
issues at the Philadelphia International Airport and promised 
to look into a criminal case involving a friend of his, NBC 10 
reported.

The network reported that the plea agreement was
 reached about 1 a.m. Thursday.

Federal prosecutors said Williams
 took “tens of thousands” of dollars in gifts, defrauded 
a nursing home and friends of money intended for a family 
member’s care, and used political funds and government
 vehicles for his personal benefit.

In court Thursday,
 Williams said that he resigns “humbly, sincerely and
 effective immediately.”

“I’m very sorry for all the 
trouble,” the former D.A. told the court.

Williams, 50, 
had faced nearly 30 corruption charges that could have 
brought substantial prison time. As a result of his plea,
 he faces a maximum of five years and a possible $250,000 
fine. He will be sentenced Oct. 24.