NY state Sen. Sampson found guilty of obstruction

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

In this June 22, 2015 photo, New York state Sen. John Sampson leaves federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York after jury selection in his obstruction of justice trial.

A New York state senator has been convicted on federal charges he sought to sabotage an investigation targeting him for embezzlement.

A Brooklyn jury reached the verdict Friday in the corruption case against Sen. John Sampson.

He was found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements.

He was acquitted on six other counts, including witness tampering.

Prosecutors originally charged the once-powerful Democrat with embezzling funds while acting as a court-appointed referee for home foreclosure proceedings.

A judge threw out the embezzlement charges but allowed prosecutors to go forward with an obstruction case that relied largely on the testimony of a crooked mortgage broker about a cover-up.

Lawyers for Sampson argued that he was entrapped by a sketchy cooperator in a sting operation.