EFTA00611093.pdf
Nen& 0 OP
FORT LAUDERDALE
Judge says he will approve
deposition by Ponzi figure
suits seeking to
to Convicted Investment comes a year and half after the than two dozen s of dollars
fraud scheme imploded, and with recover tens of million
scam operator Scott have alread y been filed, and the
a looming deadline to file bank-
Rothstein soon could be deadli ne for filing such
facing a lengthy ruptcy clawback claims against two-year Novem ber.
claims expire s in early
interrogation under oath. those who profited. s of the
Rothst ein, 48, is locked up ill an Attorn eys for victim
at ques-
BY PETER FRANCESCHINA undisclosed location, after help- fraud also want a crack judge
agents arrest a repute d tioning Rothst ein, but the
Sun Sentinel ing federal
eys temporarily denied a motion by
Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, Sicilian mobster. The attorn Roth- attorney Bill Scherer - who repre-
tions are that
the maestro who orchestrated said all indica
protection sents investors who allegedly lost
Florida's largest investment stein is in the witness another more than $100 million - to put
under
fraud, may soon be sitting down program, possibly
would likely take Rothstein under oath. The judge,
across from a phalanx of lawyers name, and that it
with feder- however, instructed Scherer to
to face a lengthy grilling under weeks of negotiations U.S. Bu- refile the motion under different
oath. al prosec utors and the
him bankruptcy rules and indicated
No one knows what Rothstein reau of Prisons to make he would then approve it
might want to say, or whether he available.
would invoke his Fifth Amend- Federal prosecutors could ob- LENGTHY TESTIMONY
ment right agains t self-in crimin a- ject to Rothstein giving a deposi-
tion, the attorneys said, if his co- Ray said it could take a week to
tion, but a federal judge on Mon- put all the questions to Rothstein,
d to bring
day said he will give the go-ahead operation is still require
t other with different batches of attor-
for bank uptcy lawyers and attor- criminal charges agains e. neys seeking information for the
neys for Rothstein's bilked inves- suspects in the Ponzi schem roughly two dozen federal and
tors to take the locked-up fraud- The prosec utors won't comm ent,
and one attorney called them the state lawsuits spawned by the
ster's deposition. that was fraud. Conceivably, Rothstein
d gorilla "
If Rothstein wants any hope of "1,000-poun could sit for one long deposition
Monday.
freedom one day, it may be in his not in the courtroom Chuck or in separa te sessions.
Bankruptcy attorn ey
best interest to tell all Scherer told the judge he has
Lichtman, who would be first in
utors for a
ALREADY COOPERATING line to conduct Rothstein's depo- been talking to prosec tion
Rothstein year about Rothst ein's deposi
He already has been cooper- sition, said he believes credi- and still doesn' t know if they will
help
ating with federal agents and has a strong motive to fight it."Th ey just listen." he said.
prosecutors investigating his tors and investo rs.
have to seek
$1.4 billion fraud, and helping "I believe Scott would tell the The attorneys may l judge,
U.S. Bankr uptcy appro val of the federa
creditors and investors could also truth," he said. Cohn, who retains jurisdic-
who presid- James
go toward reducing his 50-year Judge Raymond Ray, g, told tion in Rothst ein's crimin al case.
ed over Monday's hearin
prison term. e Roth- At one point on Mond ay,
The move by attorneys repre- Lichtman he will approv bank- Scherer joked that a football sta-
so the
senting investors and those mar- stein's deposition glean infor- dium might be necessary to ac-
ys can
shalling assets for his defunct ruptcy attorne used to file ad- commodate all the lawyers who
Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law mation that will be
firm to put Rothstein under oath ditional clawba ck lawsui ts. More want to quiz Rothstein.
EFTA00611093
FORT LAUDERDALE
Judge says he will approve
deposition by Ponzi figure
suits seeking to
to Convicted Investment comes a year and half after the than two dozen s of dollars
fraud scheme imploded, and with recover tens of million
scam operator Scott have alread y been filed, and the
a looming deadline to file bank-
Rothstein soon could be deadli ne for filing such
facing a lengthy ruptcy clawback claims against two-year Novem ber.
claims expire s in early
interrogation under oath. those who profited. s of the
Rothst ein, 48, is locked up ill an Attorn eys for victim
at ques-
BY PETER FRANCESCHINA undisclosed location, after help- fraud also want a crack judge
agents arrest a repute d tioning Rothst ein, but the
Sun Sentinel ing federal
eys temporarily denied a motion by
Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, Sicilian mobster. The attorn Roth- attorney Bill Scherer - who repre-
tions are that
the maestro who orchestrated said all indica
protection sents investors who allegedly lost
Florida's largest investment stein is in the witness another more than $100 million - to put
under
fraud, may soon be sitting down program, possibly
would likely take Rothstein under oath. The judge,
across from a phalanx of lawyers name, and that it
with feder- however, instructed Scherer to
to face a lengthy grilling under weeks of negotiations U.S. Bu- refile the motion under different
oath. al prosec utors and the
him bankruptcy rules and indicated
No one knows what Rothstein reau of Prisons to make he would then approve it
might want to say, or whether he available.
would invoke his Fifth Amend- Federal prosecutors could ob- LENGTHY TESTIMONY
ment right agains t self-in crimin a- ject to Rothstein giving a deposi-
tion, the attorneys said, if his co- Ray said it could take a week to
tion, but a federal judge on Mon- put all the questions to Rothstein,
d to bring
day said he will give the go-ahead operation is still require
t other with different batches of attor-
for bank uptcy lawyers and attor- criminal charges agains e. neys seeking information for the
neys for Rothstein's bilked inves- suspects in the Ponzi schem roughly two dozen federal and
tors to take the locked-up fraud- The prosec utors won't comm ent,
and one attorney called them the state lawsuits spawned by the
ster's deposition. that was fraud. Conceivably, Rothstein
d gorilla "
If Rothstein wants any hope of "1,000-poun could sit for one long deposition
Monday.
freedom one day, it may be in his not in the courtroom Chuck or in separa te sessions.
Bankruptcy attorn ey
best interest to tell all Scherer told the judge he has
Lichtman, who would be first in
utors for a
ALREADY COOPERATING line to conduct Rothstein's depo- been talking to prosec tion
Rothstein year about Rothst ein's deposi
He already has been cooper- sition, said he believes credi- and still doesn' t know if they will
help
ating with federal agents and has a strong motive to fight it."Th ey just listen." he said.
prosecutors investigating his tors and investo rs.
have to seek
$1.4 billion fraud, and helping "I believe Scott would tell the The attorneys may l judge,
U.S. Bankr uptcy appro val of the federa
creditors and investors could also truth," he said. Cohn, who retains jurisdic-
who presid- James
go toward reducing his 50-year Judge Raymond Ray, g, told tion in Rothst ein's crimin al case.
ed over Monday's hearin
prison term. e Roth- At one point on Mond ay,
The move by attorneys repre- Lichtman he will approv bank- Scherer joked that a football sta-
so the
senting investors and those mar- stein's deposition glean infor- dium might be necessary to ac-
ys can
shalling assets for his defunct ruptcy attorne used to file ad- commodate all the lawyers who
Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law mation that will be
firm to put Rothstein under oath ditional clawba ck lawsui ts. More want to quiz Rothstein.
EFTA00611093