Less Bagelry Than Bagel-Spree

If you’re going to inflate expenses, do it within reason — say, $25 for a bagel, not $177:

If you ordered a Bits Best Bagel Platter and asked them to throw on extra toppings, like avocado, bacon, sun-dried tomato, steak fries, chicken wings and mozzarella sticks, that would still come to only $25.80.

Such an exercise in bagel-nomics was necessary and noteworthy on Wednesday, the day after Councilman Larry B. Seabrook was charged with money laundering, extortion and fraud.

Among the items in the 13-count federal indictment was the curious case of the $177 bagel sandwich and soda. Mr. Seabrook, a Bronx Democrat and former assemblyman and former state senator, bought a bagel sandwich and diet soda for $7 one day and submitted a doctored receipt that inflated the cost to $177, according to the indictment.