-2-expenses, MARTINEZ submitted invoices for the expenses to theCity. From October 2002 through May 2008, MARTINEZ, in concertwith others, created, approved, and submitted fictitious invoicesto the City for payment. For example, some invoices falselyclaimed that a particular vendor had performed a variety ofservices for MARTINEZ's Council office, including media outreach,organization of constituent workshops, and staff developmentconsultations, when in fact, the vendor had not provided suchservices. Vendors who received payment on the fictitiousinvoices returned approximately $51,000 of the payments toMARTINEZ for his personal benefit.In addition, since at least 2003 MARTINEZ has been theprincipal sponsor for the Washington Heights Arts Center. Sincethat time, the City of New York has provided the majority of theArts Center's funding, amounting to at least $163,000 through2005. Funds allocated by MARTINEZ were intended to pay forservices for the Washington Heights community, including tutoringfor children, art classes, and after-school programs. From 2003to 2005, a co-conspirator of MARTINEZ was a signatory on the ArtsCenter's bank account. During that time, at MARTINEZ'sdirection, the co-conspirator provided approximately $15,000 fromthe Arts Center's bank account to MARTINEZ for his personalbenefit.Finally, during 2004 and 2005 the New York City HousingDevelopment Corporation ("HDC") lent a particular developerapproximately $35 million so the developer could construct fourlow-income housing developments in the 10th Council District andelsewhere in the Bronx. At the time, under applicable law, ifthe developer partnered with a local non-profit organization tosponsor a low-income housing development, the developer would beeligible to receive substantial tax benefits. MARTINEZ discussedwith the developer the possibility that the Upper ManhattanCouncil Assisting Neighbors ("UCAN"), a non-profit organization,would associate with the developer on the projects for thispurpose. In August 2004, at MARTINEZ's direction, the developermet with the co-conspirator previously referenced to discussUCAN's association with the low-income housing projects. At thatmeeting, acting at MARTINEZ's direction, the conspiratorinstructed the developer to make a series of payments to UCAN,and from August 2004 to December 2005, the developer madeapproximately $96,000 in such payments. Based in part on thosepayments, the developer was able to obtain millions of dollars intax credits. Although each of the developer's checks werewritten to UCAN-related entities, the co-conspirator, at theMARTINEZ's direction, deposited the checks into other bankaccounts. MARTINEZ ultimately received approximately $40,000
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