State Parole Board Again Denies Former Lawmaker's Bid For Early Release

Freedom has once again eluded former Suffolk County Legislator George Guldi, who, earlier this month, was denied parole for the second time since being incarcerated at an upstate prison five years ago for his role in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme.

Mr. Guldi, now 63, was sentenced to serve between four and 12 years in jail after being convicted in 2011 of 17 felony counts of grand larceny and insurance fraud for his involvement in an elaborate scheme targeting East End homes.

Citing Mr. Guldi’s apparent lack of remorse during his October 19 hearing, the state parole board ruled that the former county lawmaker will remain behind bars at the Marcy Correctional Facility for at least another 18 months, when he will once again be eligible to apply for early release.

“After a review of the record and interview, the panel has determined that if released at this time there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law, and your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society,” states the board’s written decision in denying parole and obtained by The Press.

Mr. Guldi’s first attempt at early release was denied almost exactly two years earlier—with parole board members citing similar concerns. The 2014 decision also noted that Mr. Guldi’s “present attitude” put him “at risk to re-offend.”

Mr. Guldi, a Democrat, represented the South Fork in Hauppauge from 1993 until 2003. He and Donald MacPherson, the former owner of Magic’s Pub in Westhampton Beach, were both charged and convicted of using straw buyers to acquire mortgages for dozens of East End homes between 2002 and 2009, and pocketing most of the money. Mr. MacPherson was granted early release earlier this year and remains on parole.

In their most recent denial, the parole board notes that, while incarcerated, Mr. Guldi has received both Tier II and Tier III tickets—the most severe form of reprimand for prisoners. The offenses for such tickets can vary, though Tier III offenses include attacking prison guards, according to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website. Tier II offenses, meanwhile, can include the possession of illicit drugs and fighting with other inmates. The parole board did not specify the offenses committed by Mr. Guldi during his incarceration.

Mr. Guldi cannot appear before the parole board again until April 2018 and, if successful in his third bid for early release, would not be allowed to rejoin society until sometime that summer at the earliest, officials said.