UPDATE: 6 p.m.
Former Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo admitted in federal court on Friday to accepting gifts in exchange for city council favors.
Those gifts included luxury hotel stays paid for by the Latino Police Officer's Association (LPOA). They were arranged by co-defendants and former police officers, Johnny Palermo and Rich Gonzalez, according to the facts Palermo signed and agreed to.
Vinny Palermo, who represented Omaha's District 4, changed his plea to guilty on count one of his nine charges in a plea deal. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to drop the other charges and seek a sentence of no more than 21 months in federal prison. He would receive credit for time already spent in jail.
See the full plea deal at the bottomof this page. It includes a set of facts Palermo says are true.
Vinny Palermo "just felt that taking this plea agreement was the best thing for himself, all the other people involved, and the public at large," said Randy Paragas, the attorney representing Vinny Palermo, after the hearing.
"I am glad that it was resolved this way," the attorney said. "I think that a trial would've just unnecessarily inflamed the entire situation."
The group Palermo now admits he took gifts from, the LPOA, helped start PACE, a nonprofit that operates athletic programs for disadvantaged kids. While on city council, Vinny Palermo sat on a three-person committee that awards city money to nonprofits, which included the LPOA.
U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods declined to comment, citing Department of Justice policy.
Cameras weren't allowed inside the federal courthouse, but more than a dozen people were in the courtroom — seemingly to support Vinny Palermo — who now has a beard and wore an orange jumpsuit and chains.
Paragas hopes his client will be released from jail next week while he awaits sentencing. He'd be out of jail for the first time since he turned himself in in April.
"Mr. Palermo didn't go getting his affairs in order or anything because he was being told by his lawyer (Paragas) 'Hey! You'll go down and you'll be released.' Well, that didn't happen," Paragas said, "so Mr. Palermo has had no time whatsoever to attend to his personal affairs."
At least until next week, he will remain in the Saunders County jail.
The plea agreement is not a guarantee. A new judge will need to approve it, but the judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing recommended that it be accepted.
A sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 16 in Omaha.
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