Debra Villegas

Melissa Britt Lewis Murder Trial Postponed -- Again

​It's been nearly four years since Melissa Britt Lewis, a 39-year-old Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler attorney, was found murdered, her body dumped in a Plantation canal. The man charged with killing her avoided trial for years because he was initially deemed mentally incompetent. Tony Villegas, 48, wa ... More >>

Rothstein Says He Had an Affair With Slain Lawyer Melissa Lewis

​In a sworn deposition last month, convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein alleged he had an affair with his slain employee, Melissa Britt Lewis, years ago when Lewis was in law school. He also said law enforcement officials were feeding him information about the investigation into Lewis' murder a ... More >>

Rothstein on Melissa Lewis Murder: "Everyone Knows I Wasn't Involved"

​He's a Ponzi schemer, a fraudster, involved with corrupt politicians and the Mob, but Scott Rothstein insists he's not a murderer.Under intense questioning by attorney Mary Barzee Flores during a deposition last month, the  "Prince of Darkness" vehemently denied being involved in the 2008 mu ... More >>

Scott Rothstein Questioned About Melissa Britt Lewis Murder

​Nearly four years after attorney Melissa Britt Lewis' murder, questions still swirl about the crime. Tony Villegas, the man charged with strangling her and dumping her body in a canal, has not yet faced trial. He was ruled mentally incompetent last year but has since been deemed fit for court. To ... More >>

Scott Rothstein Saga: Debra Villegas Goes to Prison; Four Enter Guilty Pleas

Scott W. Rothstein​The gifts of prison sentences keep coming, thanks to Scott Rothstein.Debra Villegas, the second in command for Rothstein's gigantic Ponzi scheme, surrendered to her new home at a minimum-security federal prison last week to begin her ten-year sentence.Villegas, now 44, pleaded g ... More >>

RRA Case Fading Away

Thought I'd share a new piece of my wardrobe this morning while I work on another post. Yes, that's an authentic Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler cap. It's glittery. I was also given an RRA T-shirt handed out at the infamous Bahamian retreat for the law firm that I'll catwalk for ... More >>

The Best Texts of 2010: Rothstein, Villegas, Obama, You?

PBSODalia Dippolito texted her complaints about her hubby.​Another year, another round of thumb-induced regret. In the age of smart phones, texting has become an essential part of the news cycle.Here are our favorite screeds that were either written or released to the public in the past year. Feel ... More >>

Debra Villegas Claims She and Melissa Lewis Were "Not Lesbians"

One more rumor put to rest? According to Debra Villegas, her friendship with slain Rothstein attorney Melissa Britt Lewis was an extraordinarily close bond and a support system, not a sexual thing.Courtesy Lynn HaberlDebra (left) and Melissa were friends, not lovers.​"She was my dearest friend in ... More >>

Villegas Video, Awarding Incompetence, and Judge Lazarus' Latest Stupid Email

UPDATED: My colleague Lisa Rab obtained this video of Debra Villegas speaking with Plantation police officers about the Melissa Britt Lewis murder. It was taken in December 2009, after the Rothstein Ponzi scheme and the RRA law firm imploded. Make sure and read Rab's post. Villegas d ... More >>

Video: Debra Villegas Tells of Rothstein's Affair With Melissa Lewis

On Sunday, we brought you the news of Scott Rothstein's alleged affair with his slain employee, Melissa Britt Lewis. Here's the sworn interview where Debra Villegas, Lewis' best friend and Rothstein's right-hand woman at his now-defunct law firm, tells a Plantation police officer about the affair.N ... More >>

Melissa Lewis Had an Affair With Scott Rothstein, Villegas Says

Courtesy of Lynn HaberlDebra Villegas and Melissa Lewis were best friends.​Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein and his slain employee, Melissa Britt Lewis, had an affair when Lewis was a law student, according to Debra Villegas.The alleged affair, which Villegas revealed in a videotaped statement to Pla ... More >>

The Rothstein Affair: What Does It Mean?

Slain attorney Melissa Britt Lewis had an affair with Scott Rothstein? Villegas, Christine Kitterman, and Lewis. ​That's what Debra Villegas told Plantation police detectives, according to a post on the Juice blog broken by Lisa Rab. And Vlillegas had no reason to lie -- in fact, ... More >>

Another Mystery Committee and The View of the Gay Pride Parade

Another crazy day following shadowy leads on the political backstreets of Broward Town.  Here's something interesting that a reader was kind enough to send me: Have you ever heard of a PAC called the "The Ritter Committee for Florida's Future"? Yes, it's that ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Plea to Protect Her Kids Comes After Years of Abuse

Debra Villegas relied on Melissa Lewis (right) to help care for her family.​At Debra Villegas' dramatic sentencing hearing last week, her psychologist argued against sending Scott Rothstein's former right-hand woman to prison for ten years, saying the separation would crush Villegas' two young son ... More >>

Doctors Disagree on Tony Villegas' Competency; Ruling Postponed

Villegas has been in jail for more than two years.​Tony Villegas' mental health is a moving target, according to his attorney, and the fluctuating opinions of psychologists have stalled his trial for the killing of Melissa Britt Lewis indefinitely.In March 2008, Villegas was arrested for allegedl ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Conflicting Testimony: Innocent or All-Knowing?

Debra Villegas, left, says she was both powerful and ignorant.​Debra Villegas has long presented herself as woman with dual lives: A terrified wife with an abusive husband at home, and a "cold-hearted bitch" in her day job as chief operating officer at the 70-person Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law ... More >>

UPDATED: Top Five Highlights From Debra Villegas' Confession Hearing

Debra Villegas, left, implicated others in the scheme.​We'll be posting the entire 50-page transcript from Debra Villegas' confession hearing soon. But until then, here are the most intriguing moments from the June 11 hearing in front of U.S. District Judge William Zloch. Villegas, 43, pleaded gui ... More >>

Debra Villegas on Rothstein: "I'd Like to Believe That He Loved Me"

Debra Villegas and Melissa Lewis.​Three months after Debra Villegas pleaded guilty to aiding in Scott Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme, there's still plenty of mystery surrounding her relationship with the disgraced lawyer. How much did she know, and when did she know it? Did her best friend's dea ... More >>

Debra Villegas Faces Decade-Plus in Prison

Villegas, on the left.​She entered a guilty plea to charges that she assisted Scott Rothstein in a massive Ponzi scheme, and now it looks like a federal judge will be throwing the book at Debra Villegas. A presentencing report cited in a recent filing by Villegas attorney Robert Stickney suggests ... More >>

Debra Villegas Gets Two More Months of Freedom; Tony Villegas Back in Jail

Debra Villegas (left) is out on bond until October.​Debra Villegas, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with Scott Rothstein's Ponzi scheme, will not be sentenced on Friday as planned.Rothstein's former right-hand woman has two more months of freedom, thanks ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Criminal Timeline and Melissa Lewis' Death

Debra Villegas (left) and Melissa Lewis.​When Debra Villegas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering last week, one detail in her testimony stood out. Villegas, the former chief operating officer at Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, told Judge William Zloch that she originally thought th ... More >>

Morning Juice: Major Drug Bust in Palm Beach County; Eggelletion Helps State Build Corruption Case

​The local news for this Friday morning:Federal prosecutors announced the arrest of 16 South Floridians in a nationwide illegal drug trafficking investigation called Project Deliverance that was based in West Palm Beach. [Palm Beach Post]Another guilty plea coming in the Scott Rothstein case, this ... More >>

Debra Villegas Confesses to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in Rothstein Case

Debra Villegas (left) has not yet been sentenced for the crime.​Debra Villegas, Scott Rothstein's right-hand woman at his defunct law firm, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering this afternoon at a hastily rescheduled federal court hearing.Beginning in February 2008, Villegas adm ... More >>

Debra Villegas Forfeits House, Maserati, Prepares to Plead Guilty

Debra Villegas (left) and her daughter Aimee.​As she prepares to plead guilty to money-laundering in connection with Scott Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme, Debra Villegas has already forfeited a house and car that Rothstein bought her. Villegas, former chief operating officer at Rothstein Rosenfe ... More >>

Morning Juice: Oil Will Ride Current to South Florida Coast; Circle K Killings an Isolated Event

​Here's what's in the local news this morning:If crews don't fix the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico soon, then scientists say it's "inevitable" that an ocean current will bring that contaminated water up Florida's east coast, through Broward and Palm Beach. [Palm Beach Post]Two forensic psycholog ... More >>

Debra Villegas and Melissa Lewis' Company Survives Death

Debra Villegas, Christina Kitterman, and Melissa Lewis.​Now that Debra Villegas has been charged with money laundering in connection with Scott Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme, her finances are getting a closer look. One venture that has raised some eyebrows is the corporation she formed with her ... More >>

Did Friendship Cost a Young Scott Rothstein Lawyer Her Life?

Morning Juice: Slave Labor Charges for Boca Firm; Villegas Makes Court Appearance

​Your look at the local news for this Thursday:A 13-year-old Hollywood boy was killed Wednesday afternoon after his 14-year-old shot him in the head. Police don't yet know whether the shooting was accidental or how the 14-year-old got the gun. [Sun-Sentinel]The owners of Quality Staffing Services ... More >>

Morning Juice: Perp Walk Coming for Rothstein Cohorts; Heat Playoff Run Gone in a Flash

​Let's see what's in the headlines this morning in South Florida:Six weeks after she was beaten nearly to death at a Deerfield Beach school bus stop, 15-year-old Josie Lou Ratley has been released from the hospital. She now heads to a rehabilitation facility to get physical therapy and speech ther ... More >>

Melissa Britt Lewis Memorial Slideshow

This week's New Times feature story is an-depth look at the murder of Melissa Britt Lewis, a young attorney at the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Alder firm who was killed more than a year before Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme imploded. Melissa's best friend, Debra Villegas, is in a federal courtroom today ... More >>

Debra Villegas (Remarried!) Enters Not Guilty Plea

​This morning, Debra Villegas, the law firm employee who allegedly helped disgraced lawyer Scott Rothstein run his $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, pled not guilty to a charge of money laundering in federal court in Fort Lauderdale -- a move that observers say was just a formality. Villegas's next court ... More >>

Debra Villegas' New Husband Also at Round Up the Night Melissa Lewis Died

Debra Villegas (left) and her daughter, Aimee.​The night attorney Melissa Britt Lewis was killed in March 2008, Debra Villegas was at the Round Up Country Western Club in Davie, she told the Plantation police in a sworn interview. She was hanging out with a group of friends that included the man w ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Dual Roles: "Cold-Hearted Bitch" and Terrified Wife

Debra Villegas (left) and her daughter, Aimee.​Many people have wondered how Debra Villegas could fill two seemingly conflicting roles. How could she be the confident, right-hand woman to Scott Rothstein as he ran a massive Ponzi scheme out of his law office, yet go home every night to an allegedl ... More >>

Villegas Divorce Depo Was Scheduled the Day Lewis Died

Where was Tony Villegas the night of the murder? ​On March 5, 2008, the day Melissa Britt Lewis was killed, her best friend, Debra Villegas, had scheduled a deposition in her divorce from her allegedly abusive husband, Tony Villegas.Debra had kicked Tony out of the house more than a year earlier, ... More >>

Debra Villegas, Melissa Lewis, and the Round Up Connection

Debra Villegas (left) liked to party at Round Up.​On the night her best friend was murdered in March 2008, Debra Villegas was partying with friends at the Round Up Country Western Club in Davie.This wasn't unusual for Debra, the former chief operating officer at the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law ... More >>

Even Lucy and Ethel Had Their Differences

Debra Villegas and Melissa Lewis: Miller Light meets Pinot Grigio.​It's well-known that Debra Villegas and Melissa Britt Lewis were best friends. They ate lunch together, texted every night, vacationed together in the Keys. They nicknamed themselves Lucy and Ethel, and according to Debra, some peo ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Other BFF: Scott Rothstein

Rothstein was Debra Villegas' friend and supporter.​After her best friend, Melissa Britt Lewis, was murdered in March 2008, Debra Villegas gave several lengthy, sworn interviews to Plantation police. Mainly, the cops were questioning her about whether her husband, Tony Villegas -- who would later ... More >>

Melissa Lewis: Caretaker of the Villegas Family

Debra Villegas and Melissa Britt Lewis.​The murder of Melissa Britt Lewis in March 2008 was devastating to many people. A bright, talented, 39-year-old attorney, she was the social coordinator for her friends and a generous aunt who had planned to take her niece to a Jonas Brothers concert just be ... More >>

Debra Villegas' Daughter Explains Life With Tony

Debra Villegas and her daughter Aimee.​Among the hundreds of pages of Broward County court documents recently made public regarding the 2008 murder of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler attorney Melissa Lewis, one of the most illuminating is a police interview with Aimee Villegas. Aimee is the daught ... More >>

Therapist Suspected Tony Villegas in Lewis Murder

Debra Villegas (left), Christina Kitterman, and Melissa Lewis.​While Debra Villegas told police officers she was nearly certain that her husband, Tony Villegas, didn't kill her best friend, Melissa Lewis, others who were close to the women were not so sure.Ilene Vinikoor was a family therapist who ... More >>

Scott Rothstein's Emails Reveal His Mindset and Dependence on Debra Villegas

Morning Juice: Coral Springs Teens Perish in Mysterious Car Crash; Pig Out in Southwest Ranches

​A peek at the local stories people are talking about on this Monday:Three Coral Springs teenagers are dead following a strange accident early Sunday  morning, which started with a fender bender. For some reason, the car accelerated away from the scene, then flipped into the canal. [WPLG]Bob ... More >>

Will Rothstein Case Affect Melissa Britt Lewis Murder Trial?

​Ever since lawyer Scott Rothstein went missing last week, only to return to the country amid allegations of running a $400 million Ponzi scheme, some observers have wondered how this news might affect one of the story's subplots: the March 2008 murder of Melissa Britt Lewis, a young attorney who ... More >>

Madoff Accountant Enters Guilty Plea; Questions Remain for Rothstein Money Manager

​David Friehling, an accountant with South Florida roots, is going to follow Bernard Madoff into prison. The Miami native entered a guilty plea today to nine felony charges. Hilariously, Friehling maintains to this day that though he rubber-stamped Madoff audits and invested with Madoff, he didn't ... More >>

Villegas: "I Have No Comment to the Media Whatsoever"

Just got hold of Debra Villegas, the chief operating officer of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, who Scott Rothstein claimed handled his financial affairs. Earlier today I wondered aloud whether Villegas knew that there was something fishy about Rothstein's investments. I asked her that question. She sai ... More >>

Rise of Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein has town talking

A Piece of Courthouse Gossip

This Seals It For Me

The Mind-Boggling Lewis Murder Case