Former Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo denied release from jail

By Aaron Hegarty , KMTV Staff

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KMTV) — Former Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo had a detention hearing in federal court in Lincoln on Wednesday afternoon. The judge ordered Palermo to stay in jail before his sentencing in November.

Palermo pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on Aug. 18. That day, he admitted to accepting gifts in exchange for city council favors. He did so in exchange for a sentence of no more than 21 months.

Palermo’s attorney, Randy Paragas, told the media after Wednesday’s hearing that the judge’s bar on release was “way too high.”

He said he offered GPS monitoring, cell phone log reports, and daily check ins. The judge said the plan would not mitigate the risk of obstruction and would be too burdensome for the probation office to enforce.

Paragas said Palermo’s family was shocked by the decision.

“They gasped because they’re family and they’re hurting,” Paragas said. “They really thought that … at the very minimum he would have the ability to get out, see his five year old son, see his other three children, tend to his business, all those things that we take for granted every day. He hasn’t been able to do those and they were abruptly taken away from him.”

He said “abruptly” because he said he advised Palermo that he would not be kept in jail. He says in his experience working white-collar cases, it’s not common to be kept in prison. He says Palermo’s co-defendents were given the game advice by their attorneys.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 16. Palermo will receive credit for time served. Paragas expects the judge will accept the terms of the plea deal.

The Omaha City Council is still working to select representation for the District 4 seat vacated by Vinny Palermo.

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