A Manhattan federal judge ordered disgraced jails union boss Norman Seabrook released from prison because his bribery sentence was much higher than his co-conspirator’s.
In an opinion released Friday, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein granted Seabrook’s request for compassionate release under the reform law First Step Act.
Seabrook will be cut loose in 10 days if federal prosecutors don’t appeal.
In his opinion, Hellerstein agreed with Seabrook’s argument — that he should be sprung because he was hit with 58 months in prison while co-conspirator Murray Huberfeld got 13 months.
Huberfeld, who bribed Seabrook in exchange for the union boss investing $20 million in a money-losing hedge fund, was originally sentenced to more than two years, but appealed and was later given the more lenient term.
“Now that Huberfeld’s sentence has been reduced to 13 months, it would be unjust for Seabrook to face 58 months in custody,” Hellerstein wrote.
Seabrook, 63, has served 21 months and is in federal prison in West Virginia.
An attorney for Seabrook did not immediately return a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on whether it would appeal.