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Former NYC jails union leader Norman Seabrook wins early release
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 24, 2023
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Drew Angerer/Getty
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 24, 2023
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The once-powerful leader of the city’s corrections officers' union was granted release from prison three years early on Friday.
Norman Seabrook, the former president of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, has only served 21 months of a sentence of four years and 10 months for taking a bribe.
In his decision, Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Seabrook’s sentence was unfairly harsh when compared to the sentence imposed on a co-conspirator. Murray Huberfeld, the founder of the Platinum Partners hedge fund, was sentenced to just 13 months for his role in the scheme.
“It would be unjust for Seabrook to face 58 months in custody,” Hellerstein wrote.
Seabrook was sentenced in 2019 for making a $20 million investment of union money in Platinum Partners in exchange for a $60,000 cash bribe delivered in a Ferragamo bag. The hedge fund later went bankrupt.
Seabrook served most of his time in custody in a federal prison in West Virginia.
Prosecutors have 10 days to appeal the decision before Seabrook is released.
Neither prosecutors nor lawyers for Seabrook could be immediately reached for comment. Prior to his indictment in 2016, Seabrook held influence over all aspects of jail operations, making him one of the most influential labor leaders in the city.
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public safety
Catalina Gonella
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