Chief of Manhattan GOP Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

The former chairman of both the New York County Republican party and the Hudson River Park Trust pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of tax evasion for failing to report $180,000 in income, the Manhattan district attorney, Robert Morgenthau, announced this morning.

James Ortenzio is the latest to be convicted in an investigation that resulted in guilty pleas by two members of the Cipriani restaurant family and three related corporations, who were ordered last month to pay $10 million in back taxes.

Ortenzio, who owns several meat processing companies, was a major distributor of food products, including meat, to Cipriani restaurants, Mr. Morgenthau said in a statement.

In 2004, Ortenzio received $100,000 for unspecified consulting work that he "intentionally" omitted from tax forms, Mr. Morgenthau said. Ortenzio also failed to disclose $80,000 that he received in 2005 for an arbitration he organized between two competing helicopter flight services in the city, Mr. Morgenthau said. The companies were both located on land belonging to the Hudson River Park Trust.

According to his plea, Ortenzio faces five years probation and must file amended, accurate tax returns for 2004 and 2005.