what was wrong with rothstein's lawyer

The lawyer was accused of funding a lavish lifestyle with a Ponzi scheme valued at $1.2 billion. On 1st December 2009, he turned himself in and was arrested on charges concerning the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Full Answer

What happened to attorney Robert Rothstein?

Rothstein was removed from the Broward County Grievance Committee, and his name has also been removed from the database of "The Best Lawyers in America".

Why was Rothstein denied bond?

Although his arraignment plea was not guilty, Rothstein cooperated with the Government and reversed his plea to guilty of five federal crimes on January 27, 2010. Rothstein was denied bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Rosenbaum, who ruled that due to his ability to forge documents, he was considered a flight risk.

Who are the prosecutors working on the Rothstein case?

Marc Nurik is representing Rothstein, and has stepped down as a lawyer from the firm. The prosecutors are Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan. They have decades of experience investigating public corruption, white-collar fraud and organized crime.

What is Rothstein et al case?

It was run by Rothstein and involves Fort Lauderdale businessman George G. Levin, who reported Rothstein to the U.S. Attorney's Office for "suspicious activity." According to the lawsuit, Frank J. Preve is Chief Operating Officer and kept an office inside Rothstein et al.

Where is Stuart Rosenfeldt now?

Stuart Rosenfeldt, a Boca Raton lawyer who went to prison in one of the biggest legal and financial scandals in South Florida history, has died. He was 66. The cause of death has not been released.

How much did Rothstein steal?

Rothstein (born June 10, 1962) is a disbarred lawyer, convicted felon, and the former managing shareholder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the now-defunct Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. He funded an extravagant lifestyle with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, one of the largest such in history.

When was Scott Rothstein sentenced?

June 2010Rothstein was sentenced to the 50 years in June 2010 on racketeering and other fraud convictions for selling fabricated legal settlements to investors from Florida, New York and Texas. He pleaded guilty in January 2010, after his Ponzi scheme collapsed around Halloween the previous year.

Where is Kim Rothstein now?

Kim Rothstein says she has been working hard to put her notorious past behind her in the 18 months since she got out of federal prison: She is now a saleswoman at a luxury car dealership.

Was Arnold Rothstein a real person?

Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, including conspiring to fix the 1919 World Series.

What does Rothstein mean?

famous stoneRothstein is a Germanic-language (German, Yiddish) surname of several possible origins: toponymic surname from a place with the same name near Merseburg; from a Germanic personal name, Hrodstein (hrod- (Hróð-), "fame", "glory", meaning "famous stone").

How long was Scott Rothstein in prison?

50 years in federal prison. Scott W. Rothstein (born June 10, 1962) is a disbarred lawyer and the former managing shareholder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the now-defunct Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. He was accused of funding an extravagant lifestyle with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, one of the largest such in history.

What was Rothstein arrested for?

On December 1, 2009, Rothstein turned himself in to authorities and was subsequently arrested on charges related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

How many lawyers does Rothstein have?

His firm had 70 lawyers and 150 employees, with offices in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tallahassee, Florida, New York City and Caracas, Venezuela. The firm focused on labor and employment matters, civil rights, intellectual property, internet law, corporate espionage, personal injury, wrongful death, commercial litigation, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and governmental relations. His client list included Citicorp, J. C. Penney, Ed Morse Automotive Group, National Beverage, Silversea Cruise Lines, Supra Telecom, and Wells Fargo. Until he was permanently disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court on November 25, 2009, Rothstein was a member of the Florida Bar and admitted by the United States Supreme Court. He had been given an AV Preeminent peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbell. The AV rating is a significant accomplishment and a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

What is Rothstein investment scheme?

Rothstein's investment scheme involved purchasing what were initially mislabeled as fabricated "structured settlements," described as where people sell large settlements in legal cases for lump sums of cash. Alan Sakowitz, an attorney and real estate developer in Bay Harbor Islands, said that he contacted the FBI in September with concerns about Rothstein. On Sunday, November 8, 2009, Sakowitz appeared with Kendall Coffey, attorney for Rothstein's law partners, on the Michael Putney Show on WPLG-TV, MIAMI, correcting Coffey for claiming that Rothstein's "investments" involved structured settlements, which they did not. (Note: "structured settlements" as defined by Rothstein in press reports do not meet the definition in IRC 5891 (C) (1) of the Internal Revenue Code ). Rothstein's resemble investments in pre-settlement funding or pre-settlement financing. In his December 12, 2011 deposition page 24 lines 15-23, Scott Rothstein himself said "It was intentionally made in a way and presented to that firm and the other firms that were looking at the structure issue that it was merely a purchase of dollars already in-house; that it was not a structured settlement because the true definition of a structured settlement is when someone is actually receiving payments over time that has some other value. We didn't have a true definition of a structured settlement, not by any of the statutes. From that perspective we had reason to make sure that this was not structured. Because when you're dealing with structured settlements you need other levels of Court approval. It would have required the manufacturer of literally hundreds of phony orders, which would have led the entire scheme to detection .'

How long was Rothstein in jail?

On June 9, 2010, Rothstein received a 50-year prison sentence after a hearing in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, although federal prosecutors in 2011 filed a motion notifying the court they would be seeking a sentence reduction for Rothstein.

What country did Rothstein wire money to?

or Israel, and firm lawyers responded that Morocco is one such country. Rothstein had wired $16 million to an individual in Casablanca and left for Casablanca on October 26, 2009. On October 31, 2009, he sent a suicide text message note to all of his law partners:

Why was Rothstein videotaped?

Cohn granted the government's motion to prohibit videotaping Rothstein during a scheduled deposition of him, citing "serious harm" and "security reasons that are unusual in nature." The exact reasons for the judge's decision were sealed. This fueled speculation that his appearance was altered or he was a mafia target due to his cooperation with the prosecution against the mafia.

What was Scott Rothstein sentenced to?

June 9, 2010 — -- Former lawyer Scott Rothstein was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison Wednesday for using his Fort Lauderdale law firm to run a $1.2 billion Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi scheme that brought him yachts and sports cars and allowed him to make sizable contributions to Florida politicians.

What was Rothstein's Ponzi scheme?

In a classic Ponzi scheme, he used funds for new investors to pay off old investors. Rothstein's scheme destroyed his law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, which once employed more than 70 lawyers and is now defunct.

How much did Rothstein donate to hospitals?

Rothstein gave big to charitable organizations and hospitals as well. All together, he donated $1.8 million to two Ft. Lauderdale hospitals -- $800,000 to Joe DiMaggio Children's and $1 million to Holy Cross.

How much did Rothstein give to Charlie Crist?

Political contributions to the state Democratic and Republican parties and to individual politicians have now been returned. Rothstein gave $9,600 to Republican Gov. Charlie Crist 's campaign for the U.S. Senate and $6,000 to Democrat Alex Sink's gubernatorial campaign.

What is the Rothstein rags to riches to jail saga?

Attorney Wilfredo Ferrer said that the "rags-to-riches-to-jail saga" of Rothstein, who rose from blue-collar roots in the Bronx to the society pages of South Florida, was a "humbling reminder of what can happen when greed and ambition run amok.".

When did Rothstein return from Morocco?

Rothstein returned from Morocco on Tuesday, Nov. 3 and apparently met with federal prosecutors. Local investors filed their first lawsuit the same day, alleging losses of $3 million. The FBI and the IRS raided the offices of his law firm on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Documents filed by the IRS on Nov. 9 alleged a Ponzi scheme dating back to 2004.

What does the mini Madoff tell the court?

South Florida mini-Madoff tells the court, 'I don't expect your forgiveness.'

How long is Kitterman in jail?

At sentencing, Kitterman faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

What was the charge against Kitterman?

Kitterman was charged with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The acts set forth in the charging document were all in furtherance of a “Ponzi” scheme involving the sale of purported confidential settlement agreements in sexual harassment and/or whistle blower cases which were purportedly handled by attorneys at the former Ft. Lauderdale law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, P.A. (RRA).

Who was the attorney that posed as the head of the Florida Bar Association?

Evidence introduced at trial established that, during the course of the Ponzi scheme, and while she was employed as an attorney at RRA, Kitterman falsely posed as the head of the Ft. Lauderdale office of the Florida Bar Association during a meeting with certain investors in order to explain to the investors the reason why certain payments due to them had not been made.

Who is prosecuting the IRS-CI case?

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz, Jeffrey N. Kaplan and Evelyn B. Sheehan.

Why was Rothstein sentenced to 50 years?

Rothstein was sentenced to the 50 years in June 2010 on racketeering and other fraud convictions for selling fabricated legal settlements to investors from Florida, New York and Texas. He pleaded guilty in January 2010, after his Ponzi scheme collapsed around Halloween the previous year.

How long was Rothstein in jail?

Rothstein, who fled to Morocco only to return and start cooperating with the feds, pleaded guilty to running a racket and was sentenced to a stunning 50 years in prison. The feds formally pledged to recommend a lower sentence.

Why did the prosecutor withdrew their motion to reduce Rothstein's sentence?

Prosecutors withdrew their motion two years ago to reduce Rothstein’s sentence based on his cooperation in the sprawling racketeering investigation because he provided “false” information and violated his plea agreement.

What was Rothstein's mistake?

But Rothstein’s fatal mistake — though not spelled out in the court record — was lying to authorities about jewelry that he bought for his wife but did not turn over to authorities from the proceeds of his $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.

How long is Rothstein's sentence?

Rothstein, 57, still has roughly 40 years to go on the 2010 sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge James Cohn. Last year, Cohn rejected Rothstein’s challenge that federal prosecutors Lawrence LaVecchio, Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey Kaplan reneged on their formal promise to lower his sentence under the plea deal.

Who is Scott Rothstein?

Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein is pictured with a collection of men’s watches in 2007, before he was charged with running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme. Lilly Echeverria Miami Herald File

Did Rothstein have discretion?

Rothstein argued they didn’t have that discretion, and therefore he was entitled to a hearing on the prosecutors’ withdrawal of the promise. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that such a hearing was “unwarranted,” then weighed in on the crux of his appeal.

Did Friendship Cost a Young Scott Rothstein Lawyer Her Life?

The last day Debra Villegas saw her best friend alive, Melissa Britt Lewis came into Debra's office to ask about her outfit. It was a new suit, just purchased that weekend, chocolate brown with pinstripes.

Feds: South Florida Man Bought Lambo, Designer Clothes, Rolexes With PPP Money

Valesky Barosy's public life — or at least the one he claimed to lead on social media — was one defined by silk-stocking extravagance: a new Lamborghini Huracán EVO, designer clothing from Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton, and wristwatches made by Rolex and Hublot.

Into the Inferno: Victims, Families Claim Royal Caribbean Sent Them to Active Volcano

A 2019 advertisement for tours of New Zealand's White Island promised Royal Caribbean cruise passengers an up-close experience with one of the country's most active volcanoes. Appearing in the company's cruise marketing packages, the ad described a guided hike near "bubbling pits of mud, hot volcanic steams and the amazing lake of steaming acid."

Summary

Scott W. Rothstein (born June 10, 1962) is a disbarred lawyer, convicted felon, and the former managing shareholder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the now-defunct Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. He funded an extravagant lifestyle with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, one of the largest such in history. On December 1, 2009, Rothstein turned himself in to authorities and was subsequently arrested on charges related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizat…

Overview

Background and career

Recent

$1.2 billion Ponzi scheme

Victims

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