The corruption probe against Brian Benjamin collapsed when developer Gerald Migdol, a key witness in the case, died last year.

Federal prosecutors dropped corruption charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin after a key witness, real estate developer Gerald Migdol, died before the bribery and wire fraud case could be brought to trial.

Prosecutors said they could no longer prove the case, after the real estate developer accused of bribing Benjamin died.

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Friday dropped bribery and fraud charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, citing the death of a cooperating witness against the Democrat who the governor had once chosen to be her second-in-command.

"Today's vindication of Brian Benjamin is a timely reminder of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's famous words: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,'" Benjamin's lawyers Barry Berke, Dani James and Darren LaVerne said in a joint statement. "We always believed this day would come."

Federal prosecutors have dropped bribery and conspiracy charges against New York’s former Democratic lieutenant governor, citing the death of a key witness in the case. In a filing to U.S. District Judge J.

Feds drop corruption case against former Lt. Gov. Benjamin