Feds discover over $1 million in safe deposit box of crooked pol

Federal authorities made a startling discovery this week: a “trove” of bundled cash in a corrupt politician’s safe deposit box.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said that “U.S. Marshals discovered and seized over one million dollars in small bundles of cash concealed in several safe deposit boxes controlled by John George.”

George, a former Mass. state representative, found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was convicted of an embezzlement scheme involving a taxpayer-funded bus company, authorities explained. Earlier this year, jurors only spent two hours deliberating before finding George guilty of betraying the public’s trust, The Standard-Times reported.

George’s attorney, William J. Cintolo,promptly filed an appeal after George’sconviction. Cintolo toldreporters at the time, “I’m expecting to be successful.”

After his conviction, George was to report his cash holdings to the government prior to his sentencing. At that time, he said “his liquid assets only consisted of about $160,000 in bank accounts and approximately $28,000 in cash,” prosecutors added.

Authorities toldreportersthey executed additional search warrants after George’ssentencing –they believed he was concealing cash.

CBS Boston reported that thestashed cashwas “found at a Santander Bank in New Bedford and a Citizens Bank in Fairhaven.”