A Former Councilman Convicted of Fraud Considers A Comeback After His Conviction Gets Reversed
Former City Council member Ruben Wills, who was convicted of fraud and grand larceny and served two years in prison, is eyeing a political comeback after a State Appeals Court reversed his conviction and returned the case to Queens Supreme Court.
His entrance would likely upend a race where the current City Councilmember Adrienne Adams is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Wills has name recognition and a story of alleged injustice that could resonate with voters.
Council District 28 includes the Queens neighborhoods of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village and South Ozone Park. Wills, 49, was first elected in 2010. He went to prison in 2017 after a jury found he used public money awarded to his non-profit, as well as campaign finance matching funds, on personal expenses like a designer bag.
An Appeals Court ruling found that during his trial Wills was “deprived of his ‘right to present evidence by witnesses of [his] own choosing [which] is a fundamental ingredient of due process.’”
A spokesperson for Attorney General Leticia James said prosecutors have not decided yet whether or not to retry the case. Wills’s lawyer, Kevin O’Donnell, said his client had served his sentence and argues it wouldn’t be wise to spend public funds on an expensive second trial.
