Shays aide to admit embezzling campaign funds

Christopher Shays' former campaign manager is expected to admit next week that he embezzled at least $82,118 in donations from the former Fairfield County congressman's unsuccessful 2008 run and spent the money on such things as hotel stays, expensive dinners and baseball tickets.

Michael Sohn, 34, of Fairfield, is scheduled to plead guilty to the embezzlement and a tax evasion charge March 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Fatzi Martinez at the federal courthouse in Hartford.

The tax evasion charge involves Sohn's failure to include pilfered money as income on his 2008 federal tax return.

The prosecution team, headed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Jongbloed says Sohn should have reported taxable income of $163,949 rather than $75,860. As a result he owed $43,468 in taxes but only paid $15,617.

Sohn is looking at a possible prison term ranging from 27 to 32 months.

Additionally, the government will be seeking payment of taxes owed for returns Sohn filed.

"I think this is long overdue," said Shays when reached Friday. "Michael embezzled money. Michael failed to pay his taxes. Michael hurt a lot of people including himself."

The former congressman believes it is very important that Sohn "own up to what he did and get on with his life."

The disclosure of Sohn's planned guilty plea comes in a document filed Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny.

In the document, Chatigny refers Sohn's case to Martinez for the purpose of taking the guilty plea and determining if it is adequately made.

Normally, a district judge prefers to preside over guilty pleas.

However, it is not unusual for them to ask a magistrate judge to take a plea if they are on trial or busy with other matters.

Just last week, Chatigny was nominated to a position on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. He is awaiting confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate.

Should Chatigny be confirmed before Sohn is sentenced, the case will be transferred to another judge.

H. James Pickerstein, a Fairfield lawyer who is representing Sohn, confirmed his client will be pleading guilty before Martinez on Thursday.

"This is a very sad case," said Pickerstein. "It's a terrible tragedy for everyone involved."

Sohn, who managed four of Shays' campaigns dating back to 2002, was arrested Dec. 4 by FBI and IRS agents after being indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 charges.

These include four charges involving the conversion of a total of $250,000 in contributions to Shays' campaigns from 2005 to 2008; four counts of making false statements for each of the quarterly reports Shays' campaign filed with the Federal Elections Commission in 2008; three counts of failing to file tax returns in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and tax evasion by not including the pilfered money in his earned income on his 2008 return.

Sohn has been free on $100,000 bond but has been living under curfew with court orders to continue counseling with a psychotherapist.