Judge delays Wanamaker's sentencing

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A judge has delayed the sentencing of Buffalo's former strategic planner, who stole from taxpayers.

Timothy Wanamaker would have learned his punishment for a federal corruption charge on Tuesday, and sentencing has taken more than a year. The U.S. Attorney's Office revealed Wanamaker cooperated with federal investigators and prosecutors say he deserves a sentence that could mean no jail time. Federal Judge Richard Arcara now wants more evidence before passing sentence.

Buffalo's former head of strategic economic planning will have to wait until mid-December to find out if he is going to jail. Wanamaker is now selling cars in Virginia, after pleading guilty to charging about $30,000 in personal expenses to one of the city's credit cards.

His attorney, James Harrington, said, "He feels horrible about what he did, because he violated his duty of public trust, not only to HUD, but also to the people of Buffalo and he feels terrible about it."

Wanamaker admitted to stealing the money from the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation for unauthorized travel expenses. The money was supposed to be used to fight poverty.

At first, federal agents said he wasn't cooperating with their investigation, but now they have reconsidered. The U.S. Attorney's Office is telling Judge Arcara that Wanamaker made two trips to Buffalo at his own expense to meet with agents of the FBI.

HUD investigators also learned from Wanamaker how a lack of controls allowed federal money to be funneled to different departments within Buffalo City Hall, and potentially misappropriated.

"Information he has provided to them, they have changed some of their procedures and things are better regulated at this point in time," Harrington explained.

HUD now considers Buffalo a "high risk grantee," and insists that federal HUD funds now go through the City Comptroller's Office for distribution.

The comptroller's executive assistant, Patrick Curry, said, "It's going give the comptroller a great deal more oversight of how this money is spent, and where is it going, and making sure that all the financial controls are in place."

If Judge Richard Arcara can be convinced that Wanamaker's cooperation really did make a difference, he could spare the former Buffalo official jail time.