Former U.N. General Assembly President John Ashe, who was facing criminal charges in a bribery case, has died aged 61.

Ashe, who is from the twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, died at his home in Dobbs Ferry, New York, on Wednesday.

He was accused by U.S. prosecutors of abusing his position and taking $1.3million in bribes from Chinese businessmen and arrested in October on federal charges.

Ashe's death was confirmed by Sgt. Vincent Ingani, of the Dobbs Ferry Police Department, but he gave no further details.

Former U.N. General Assembly President John Ashe (pictured in Japan in 2014), who was facing criminal charges in a bribery case, has died aged 61

A younger brother in Antigua, Paul Ashe, and his attorney in New York, Jeremy Schneider, also confirmed his death without providing details about the cause.

Asked if his client had died from a heart attack as reported by an Antiguan media outlet, Schneider said that was his understanding, Reuters reported.

But Schneider later clarified that he did not know the cause of death.

'I do not know definitively what the cause of death was,' he said. 'It's a tragic loss for his family and the community. He was preparing to fight his case at trial.'

Ashe was a former U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda who served in the largely ceremonial post of president of the 193-nation assembly from September 2013 to September 2014.

He was accused by U.S. federal authorities of turning the position into a 'platform for profit' by accepting more than $1million in bribes.

The alleged conspiracy involves six others including a billionaire Chinese real estate mogul, two diplomats and a humanitarian organization officer.

Ashe served in the largely ceremonial post of president of the 193-nation assembly from September 2013 to September 2014. Above, Ashe speaks at the assembly in September 2013

Ashe is survived by his wife, Anilla Cherian (pictured together in September last year), and two children

His death marked a surprising turn in the corruption investigation, in which seven people have been charged to date.

Ashe 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.

Ashe, (left), United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (center) and Hillary Clinton are pictured at the 'Equality for Women is Progress for All' event at the United Nations in New York City in March 2014

Ashe was arrested in October on federal charges. Above, he is pictures leaving federal court in New York on October 26, 2015

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 only been charged 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.