The recent arrest and indictment of Harendra Singh of Singh Hospitality Group on multiple criminal charges has focused on the human weakness for amassing wealth by hook or by crook. The charges against Singh include bribery of a public official, failing to pay millions of dollars in taxes, obstruction of justice and falsely receiving almost a $1 million from the government by filing a false report with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on damages to one of his restaurants because of superstorm Sandy.

The 13 count indictment include  one count of bribery, one count of obstruction of justice, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of conspiracy to deprive citizens and Town of Oyster Bay of honest services of an employee through wire fraud as part of a bribery scheme, five counts of depriving citizens and the town of honest services of an employee through wire fraud, two counts related to tax evasion, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing a false disaster relief claim involving damages to the Water’s Edge restaurant in Long Island City, and  one count of disaster fraud in the Water’s Edge case. If convicted of the charges, Singh faces 30 years to life in prison.

Singh may not have done it all had he not had the conniving official in the Town of Oyster Bay. It is this official who resigned when the fraud was exposed and the FBI was closing in on the culprits and has since been arrested, though not charged along with Singh, who for return in bribes (according to the indictment of Singh, a total of $50,000.00 plus payment of lease of a car costing around $36,000.00) helped Singh in committing a part of the fraud.

As the investigations move forward, we hope to hear about the involvement of more people. The malaise is deep in Nassau County where some town and County officials are indulging in unethical conduct and corruption. It will need a wide, deep and sustained investigation to expose the mafia operating in Nassau County. Hope, FBI will carry the investigations to the logical end and rid one of the finest Counties in USA of the deep rooted cancer of corruption.