Posts Tagged ‘Florida Lawyer’

Miami lawyer who orchestrated a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme helped federal agents nab a reputed Italian mafia figure living in Florida

Miami lawyer who orchestrated a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme helped federal agents nab a reputed Italian mafia figure living in Florida, authorities said.Scott Rothstein, 47, set up Roberto Settineri, who is wanted on organized crime charges in Palermo, Italy, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.Settineri, 41, was arrested last week at his home in Miami Beach.Wearing a wire that linked him to federal agents, Rothstein allegedly talked Settineri into destroying two boxes of documents and laundering $79,000 from Rothstein’s investment scheme, a source close to the case told the Herald.”He knew Settineri. He was able to chat up Settineri,” the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.Settineri allegedly has ties to the Palermo crime family and the Gambino mob family in New York.Rothstein’s cooperation could enable him to receive special protection inside a federal prison when he is sentenced May 6 for fraud and money launderingMarc Nurik, Rothstein’s lawyer, could not be reached for comment and Settineri’s lawyer, Jeffrey Weiner, declined to comment.

Florida Lawyer Rothstein Charged in $1.2 Billion Ponzi Scheme

David Voreacos, Carlyn Kolker and Susannah Nesmith, Bloomberg, December 2, 2009Scott Rothstein (above), a disbarred South Florida lawyer, pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges alleging he ran a $1.2 billion fraud that paid for his lifestyle and donations to Governor Charlie Crist and other politicians.Rothstein, 47, faces 100 years in prison if convicted of two counts of wire fraud and three conspiracy charges filed yesterday.

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UBS and US government reach tax dispute deal

UBS has reached an agreement with the US government that will result in the Swiss bank settling a dispute over tax evasion out of court.Stuart Gibson, US justice department lawyer, said that both parties have settled on the details of a contract.But, Mr Gibson added that it will “take a small time for the agreements to be signed in final form”.Details of the arrangement, such as how many names of the US customers that hold offshore accounts at UBS will be revealed to the government, were not divulged.Florida-based tax lawyer William Sharp told the Associated Press that it is unlikely that such a go would have been made without a “substantial handover” of details.He predicted that “at least several hundred, if not thousands” of names have been supplied to the authorities.Shares in UBS fell earlier this week due to the ongoing negotiations, but have now rebounded on the news.

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