John Ashe Dead: Ex-President Of UN General Assembly, Linked To Bribery Case, Was 61

John Ashe, a former United Nations General Assembly president accused by U.S. prosecutors of taking $1.3 million in bribes from Chinese businessmen, has died at age 61, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

The death of Ashe, a former U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda who served as General Assembly president from 2013 to 2014 and was arrested in October on federal charges, was confirmed by his lawyer, Jeremy Schneider.

Asked if his client had died of a heart attack as reported by an Antiguan media outlet, Schneider said that was his understanding. But he later clarified that he did know the cause of death.

Ashe's death marked a surprising turn in the corruption investigation, in which seven people have been charged to date. He had been in plea talks as recently as last month as prosecutors mulled further charges.

The status of those plea talks was not immediately clear. Schneider said his client had been preparing for trial.

A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office was pursuing the case, had no immediate comment.

Prosecutors said Ashe received more than $500,000 in bribes from billionaire Macau real estate developer Ng Lap Seng to seek U.N. support of a United Nations-sponsored conference center in Macau that Ng's company would develop.

Those bribes were paid through intermediaries that included Francis Lorenzo, a suspended deputy U.N. ambassador from the Dominican Republic, and Jeff Yin, Ng's assistant, prosecutors said.

Lorenzo pleaded guilty in March. Ng and Yin have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said Ashe also received more than $800,000 from Chinese businessmen to support their interests within the United Nations and Antigua.

Those bribes were arranged through Sheri Yan, who was the Global Sustainability Foundation's chief executive, and Heidi Hong Piao, the non-governmental organization's finance director, prosecutors said. Both women pleaded guilty in January.

Authorities said Ashe solicited bribes in various forms, including payments to cover a New Orleans family vacation and construction of a $30,000 basketball court at his house in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

At the time of his death, Ashe had been charged only with tax fraud in connection with the bribes, amid questions about whether diplomatic immunity might preclude any bribery charges.

But at a May 9 hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal said prosecutors were planning to seek a new indictment in the case against Ashe.

Ashe is survived by his wife, Anilla Cherian, and two children.