Judge Admits Lying To FBI

HARTFORD (AP) –– A state Superior Court judge pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement to FBI agents about his financial dealings with a convicted felon.

Judge Daniel Brennan, Jr, 60, of Trumbull, had pleaded innocent last September to one count of obstruction and four counts of lying to federal agents. He changed his plea during a hearing in US District Court.

Judge Brennan was accused of borrowing money from William A. Trudeau, Jr, a former client of his law practice, and writing a fraudulent invoice to help him disguise his finances from federal authorities.

In February 2001, Mr Trudeau, pleaded guilty to charges of failure to account for and pay over employee taxes, and also to interstate wire fraud.

Mr Trudeau, a former Newtown businessman, was at the center of the Newtown Oil Company controversy last winter, in which the now-defunct home heating fuel firm failed to honor prepaid oil delivery contracts to hundreds of its customers. State officials believe that Mr Trudeau, of Westport, surreptitiously operated Newtown Oil. Mr Trudeau is currently serving a federal prison sentence on charges separate from the Newtown Oil controversy.

In a negotiated plea agreement in US District Court, Judge Brennan admitted Monday to accepting a $10,000 loan from Mr Trudeau, but said he refused a loan for $52,5000.

According to the indictment, Judge Brennan told Mr Trudeau he “had bad guy money due” and was being pressured to repay.

Judge Brennan had originally told FBI agents that he had never received a loan from Mr Trudeau, and he denied ever seeing Mr Trudeau with more than $10,000 in cash at any time in the past five or six years.

Mr Brennan, who sat as a judge in Bridgeport Superior Court, has agreed to resign from his position immediately.

He could face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced on April 16 by Judge Robert N. Chatigny.