BUFFALO, N.Y. — A former Buffalo deputy mayor in the Byron Brown administration avoided probation and was fined just $69 in connection to his plea to a single count of wire fraud.
Steve Casey was sentenced Wednesday morning by U.S. District Court Judge William Skretny.
That amount was the total cash left in the account of Steve Casey's political consulting company, LSA Strategies, LLC. However, Casey and his company must still make full restitution to a client in the amount of $8,283.59.
Casey must also dissolve LSA Strategies.
The company was founded by Steve Casey in June of 2012 and according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office "schemed to defraud a candidate running for New York State Senate 60th District."
That candidate is Charles Swanick, former Erie County Legislator who entered the race for the 60th State Senate race in 2012.
At sentencing, Swanick told the court, "A good friend of mine for 25 years decided to steal from me."
LSA Strategies did work on behalf of Swanick's campaign and added a fee for the work that Swanick understood the firm was doing for free.