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Halloran sentencing on hold

By TimesLedger Staff

The sentencing of former Bayside City Councilman Daniel Halloran has been put on hold.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office said the sentencing was postponed from an initial Dec. 5 date in White Plains Federal Court but no new date has been scheduled.

Halloran, who was found guilty on five counts in a federal corruption case this summer, was slated to appear in court this Friday to discuss a sealed, pending application.

His attorney, Vinoo former councilman guilty of scheming with two undercover FBI operatives he believed were developers to direct discretionary funding to a fake charity and ultimately to all of their pockets.

Halloran was also convicted of brokering bribes to GOP chairmen in Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx in attempt to get their organizations to sign off on state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Hollis) running for mayor on the Republican line in 2013.

Smith and former Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone, who is accused of accepting a suspected bribe, have both maintained their innocence.

Tabone was also slated to appear in court this week to discuss hiring new counsel, Dennis Ring.

Deborah Misir, who previously represented Tabone, unsuccessfully sought an adjournment due to her pregnancy and planned maternity leave.

Tabone’s and Smith’s trail is scheduled to begin in Jan. 5.

Halloran’s case was severed from the pair’s when their attorneys argued the government’s failure to hand over hours of wiretap in Yiddish and English ahead of the trial merited a mistrial.