Fagen Sentencing Set for April 17

Michael Fagen, the former Long Beach City Council member convicted of stealing unemployment benefits early this year, will appear at District Court in Nassau County for his sentencing next week. 

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Fagen was originally scheduled for sentencing by Judge Meryl Berkowitz on Monday, but the judge hadn’t reviewed all of the former councilman’s parole reports and his sentencing was postponed, according to Newsday. On Friday, Berkowitz scheduled the sentencing for April 17.

In February a jury convicted Fagen, 56, on charges that stemmed from his collection of more than $15,000 in unemployment benefits. Less than a week later, the Democrat councilman was forced to step down on his conviction for a felony, and attorney and Long Beach resident, Eileen Goggin, filled Fagen’s term that expires this year.

During the former councilman’s trial, prosecutors said Fagen failed to report his $19,828 yearly income as a councilman and he received $405 weekly in unemployment insurance benefits after he took office in January 2010.

After nearly two weeks of deliberations, the jury on Feb. 5 convicted Fagen of 18 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny. Jurors failed to reach verdicts on the top charge, one count of third-degree grand larceny, and 20 additional counts of offering a false instrument for filing.

Marc Gann, Fagen's attorney, said that he intends to appeal.

Fagen faces up to four years in prison.