Buffalo Billion "scam' goes to jury

Manhattan federal prosecutors urged a jury to convict four men accused of corrupting Gov. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion program, saying they knew what they were doing was wrong when they rigged bids for taxpayer-funded construction contracts.

“Try as they might, these men . . . could not hide what they did,” prosecutor Matthew Podolsky said Monday. “They lied and deceived and committed fraud so that millions of dollars found their way into their pockets.”

Podolsky made the comments during closing arguments in the case, which centers on alleged fraud in Cuomo’s program to revitalize upstate New York.

The trial, which kicked off June 18, has dragged Cuomo’s name into yet another corruption case as he seeks a third term in office this year. Earlier this year, his former aide Joe Percoco was convicted of bribery.

The feds say Cuomo tapped Alain Kaloyeros, the ex-head of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, to dole out state funds for development projects in Syracuse and Buffalo because he had proven successful at getting tech companies to invest in Albany. But Kaloyeros allegedly steered the contracts to LPCiminelli and Cor Develop- ment to curry favor with the governor, the feds have said.

Executives Louis Ciminelli of LPCiminelli and Joe Gerardi and Stephen Aiello of Cor Development are also on trial.

The men claim that they were duped by corrupt lobbyist Todd Howe, a former Cuomo associate who has pleaded guilty in this case and to a bribery scheme with Percoco.