ALBANY – Disgraced former state Sen. Guy Velella yesterday lost his final bid to get out of jail early.
Without comment, the Court of Appeals – the state’s top court – said it would not hear Velella’s appeal, meaning the former Bronx political powerhouse-turned-jailbird will be locked up at Rikers Island until the spring.
“We are obviously disappointed,” his lawyer, Charles Stillman, said in a statement. “Mr. Velella will complete his sentence and looks forward to his freedom and the resumption of his life.”
With good behavior, Velella’s projected release date is March 19, said city Department of Corrections spokesman Tom Antenen.
Sentenced to a year in jail for conspiracy to commit bribery, Velella entered Rikers on June 21 but was released Sept. 28 by the Local Conditional Release Board.
After a firestorm of controversy, the board’s decision was reversed.