BINGHAMTON — Cohoes Mayor Shawn M. Morse pleaded guilty to a felony wire fraud count on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, admitting that he stole campaign funds for personal use and leaving his working-class city on edge with his pledge to remain in office through the end of the year.

But the embattled mayor's guilty plea had immediate consequences for his beleaguered first term as mayor.

Tuesday evening Common Council President Christopher Briggs took the oath of office as Cohoes' new mayor at an emergency meeting of the council. During the meeting, Briggs called an executive session to discuss Morse's guilty plea and emerged with a motion — that was agreed upon unanimously — to make Tuesday Morse's last day on the payroll.

A provision in New York Public Officers Law mandates an elected official vacates their position immediately if convicted of a felony. Under the city's charter Briggs was next in line to serve as mayor.

"It's a matter of law," Briggs said. "When you are guilty of a felony, you are guilty. That clicks off vacating the position."

A 1980 decision by New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, determined that "a conviction occurs upon a verdict of guilty and there is no sound reason to differentiate between a conviction for purposes of criminal law and the Public Officers Law."

The 52-year-old mayor's guilty plea settled a seven-count felony indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in February that accused him of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and lying to FBI agents. The indictment detailed how Morse used more than $12,250 in campaign funds for personal expenses, including vacations and home repairs.

"Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?" U.S. District Senior Judge Thomas J. McAvoy asked the mayor.

"Yes, sir," Morse said.

Earlier Tuesday, city officials were considering changing the locks on the mayor's office following Morse's guilty plea. Briggs said the locks will be changed on Wednesday.

"This is a very unfortunate situation," said Briggs, who spoke with Morse on Tuesday afternoon to tell him that this was likely to happen. "This is the cards we are dealt and we are dealing with them."

Briggs said he told Morse of the council's intentions on Tuesday afternoon. He said Morse was not happy with the council's plans.

Morse, a once-powerful figure in the county's Democratic political structure, has weathered a tumultuous first term that was also marred by his alleged physical abuse of women dating back decades.

Morse spoke softly throughout Tuesday's proceeding, repeatedly stating "yes, sir," and "yes, your honor," as McAvoy walked him through his guilty plea. The judge also reminded Morse that his plea to the felony charge will prevent him from owning firearms and result in the loss of other basic rights.

"You lose the right to hold certain public offices, which sounds like it might be important to you," McAvoy stated, after Morse outlined an extensive political career that included serving as chairman of the Albany County Legislature before he was elected mayor in 2015.

When the proceeding ended and after the judge had left the bench, Morse rose from his seat and said "Thank you" to assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Kinsella Kistler. Moments earlier, Kistler outlined for the judge that under federal sentencing guidelines, Morse faces a sentence 4 to 10 months in prison, although the judge is not bound by those guidelines and could sentence Morse to probation or home confinement.

His trial had been scheduled to begin Sept. 10.

Morse declined comment as he left the courthouse. His attorney, William J. Dreyer of Albany, said the plea agreement does not require Morse to resign from his mayoral position, which the Justice Department often requests in criminal cases involving elected officials.

Dreyer also said that Morse's plea did not involve a cooperation agreement.

Morse lost a Democratic primary in June to challenger Bill Keeler, a retired State Police major who is running unopposed for mayor in November's general election.

In June, after Morse lost the primary, Keeler called for him to step down immediately due to his pending federal criminal charges. People who work in City Hall said that Morse has rarely been to his office since he lost the primary.

At Tuesday's meeting, Keeler said the council did the right thing.

"The council did what they had to do, abide by the law," Keeler said. "As soon as Shawn Morse pled guilty to a felony, it is the same thing as being convicted of a felony. He was no longer mayor at that moment."

Morse was arrested in February at his residence and arraigned on the federal indictment. His former campaign treasurer and longtime political confidant, Ralph V. Signoracci IV, pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge in March and had agreed to testify against Morse.

Signoracci admitted cashing campaign account checks and giving the money to Morse, who in some instances deposited the cash into his personal checking account within 24 hours of receiving the funds. Signoracci is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16.

Signoracci had been Morse's campaign treasurer for many years and pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges a week after Morse was arrested. Morse had appointed Signoracci as the city's operations director after winning election four years ago.

Last year, the FBI's investigation of Morse and Signoracci was revealed when federal agents knocked on their doors on a September morning and began pressing them with questions about the campaign funds and Morse's vacation excursions. Signoracci subsequently resigned from his city position, pledged to cooperate with the FBI and took a new job with the office of county Comptroller Michael Conners.

Morse's guilty plea follows a tumultuous first term as mayor during which he withstood a series of allegations that he physically abused women, including his wife, Brenda, and teenage daughter.

The downturn for Morse began in November 2017 when his wife called 911 and told a dispatcher that her husband grabbed her throat and threw her to the ground during an argument at their Grandview Avenue residence. Since that incident, Brenda Morse has shifted several times from claiming he abused her throughout their marriage to saying she had made up the allegations.

Common Council member Randy Koniowka, who was often critical of Morse, thanked Morse for his service on Tuesday night.

"He had the best interest of the city at heart," Koniowka said. "He worked hard and nobody went harder on him than I did. But that's politics ... today was the day to turn a page. But I tell you what, you may not have seen the last of Shawn Morse."