13 • TIMES, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Boston Drifter Strangled Helpful Soul In Woodside by Robert Pozarycki Jurors convicted last week a Boston drifter of murdering a Woodside man who agreed to let him stay at his apartment in October 2011, prosecutors announced. Raymond Epps, 58, was found guilty last Wednesday, Jan. 28, of second-degree murder, firstdegree robbery, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and fourth-degree grand larceny. Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory L. Lasak, who presided over the trial, ordered Epps to return to court on Mar. 4 for sentencing; the suspect faces up to 25 years to life behind bars. According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Epps robbed and strangled Wayne Graves, 62, inside his Berkeley Towers apartment on 52nd Street sometime between Oct. 16 and Oct. 19, 2011. Reportedly, Graves met Epps days earlier at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and offered to temporarily house the suspect. “Epps repaid his benefactor’s generous act of kindness by strangling him in his own home and then stealing his credit cards, which he then used -SEE DRIFTER ON PG. 22- Politician Jailed For Obstructing Inquiry Sentencing Delayed Due To Woes by Robert Pozarycki Following repeated delays over medical issues, former Democratic District Leader Albert Baldeo (below)—convicted last August of interfering with a federal investigation against him—finally faced the music on Monday, Feb. 2. A federal jury found the 54- year-old Richmond Hill resident guilty on seven obstruction of justice counts but acquitted him of perpetrating a scheme to unlawfully obtain $15,000 in matching funds from the city’s Campaign Finance Bureau for his failed 2010 City Council campaign. Prosecutors said Baldeo instructed select donors not to cooperate with investigators or to provide detectives with false information regarding their donations. In some cases, prosecutors said, Baldeo sent threatening letters to donors who balked at cooperating and even filed false complaints against donors with the city’s Administration for Children’s Services and the Department of Buildings. Cleared for sentencing Monday, Crotty ordered Baldeo to serve 18 months behind bars along with three months of house arrest and two years’ probation. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. “Albert Baldeo tried through intimidation and harassment to obstruct the government’s investigation of his alleged fraudulent campaign practices,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said in a statement Monday. “The obstruction of justice by a political official has no place in our politics, but it -SEE BALDEO ON PG. 23- Murdered Man Who Helped Him In 2011 Boro Hall Budget Hearing Feb. 23 Public To Provide Input On City Spending Plans by Anthony Giudice Queens Borough President Melinda Katz invited the public to the Borough Board hearing on the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2016 Preliminary Expense and Capital Budgets. The public hearing will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, in room 200 at Queens Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd. The purpose of the hearing will be to obtain the recommendations and views of the community boards, community stakeholders and the residents of Queens on the proposals within the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2016 Preliminary Budget. “The public budget hearing will give me and my colleagues a valuable opportunity to assess the needs and concerns of Queens residents regarding the allocation of city resources,” Katz said. “The testimony presented will help the Borough Board greatly as we prepare our annual budget priorities document, which will be made up of recommendations -SEE BUDGET ON PG. 22-
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