Scott Rothstein

Judge Bounces Berger Singerman From Rothstein Bankruptcy Suit

In a blow to the lead counsel in the Rothstein bankruptcy case, Judge Raymond Ray disqualified the Berger Singerman law firm from representing the trustee in a clawback suit against Qtask, a California company in which Scott Rothstein invested millions of dollars i ... More >>

New York Hedge Funds Strike Back In Rothstein Suit

We've heard all about how the Centurion and Platinum hedge funds in New York sank hundreds of millions of dollars into Scott Rothstein's Ponzi scheme.  Fort Lauderdale attorney Bill Scherer is suing them, claiming they were privy to the fraud and now must cough up ... More >>

The Moron Brother: Rothstein Scorned

Running around, so I thought I'd quickly share a missive from Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein to Chris Salamone, one of his close friends and business associates. ​It's goes to the great paradox of Rothstein: He was a cutthroat con artist, a financial serial killer (as one ... More >>

Charlie Crist to Scott Rothstein: "We Love You"

​Former Gov. Charlie Crist was apparently a little closer to Scott Rothstein than we knew. Or maybe not. They blew out the candles on Crist's birthday cake a couple of years ago after giving the governor $52,000 (a grand for each candle). Before the disbarred Rothstein's Pon ... 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 >>

Russ Adler's Questions For Sheriff Al

Will Lamberti have to raise his right hand in Rothstein court? ​Busy news night. Another Broward jail worker, this one a nurse named Carline Jean, was arrested yesterday on charges of introducing contraband to an inmate, including giving the inmate a cell phone and (this goes without saying ... More >>

Sheriff Lamberti Needs To Bring Justice To Favorites, Upper Brass

So the Broward Sheriff's Office arrested three minority jail guards on charges they helped bring contraband into the jail. The mugs of the correction officers were published at the top of the Local section of the Sun-Sentinel with the words: "Inquiry focuses on contraband and sex at a county jail." ... More >>

The Rothstein-Salamone Emails

Boca Raton attorney Chris Salamone founded a company called LeadAmerica with a goal of transforming children across America into natural leaders. Above, you can see him lecturing on the importance of children making good choices.  Salamone arranged student conferences around the coun ... More >>

Pulp Black Tie Edition: Boden's Latest Gig

Rothstein, with his vodka martini, and, from left, Adler, Lippman, and Grant at his Versace mansion wedding ​This is a good shot of some of the alleged co-conspirators in the Scott Rothstein fiasco. Russ Adler, at right, and Steve Lippman were knee-deep in the mess.& ... More >>

Boca Raton's Gold-Dispensing ATM Machine: Five Uses for All That Bling

You'll soon see this in Boca.​Abu Dhabi, Munich, and Madrid were the first places to get ATM machines that dispense gold bars. Next up for the gold ATM is America, and the first two cities to get the machines are Las Vegas and Boca Raton. That's right, the city famous for 4 o'clock dinners is now ... 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 >>

Morning Juice: Charges May Be Coming for Rothstein's Supporting Cast; Charges in Hollywood Boy's Shooting Death

​A rundown of what's news in South Florida:A day after Scott Rothstein was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the speculation begins about which of his associates will be charged next. Two prime candidates: his law partners Russ Adler and Stuart Rosenfeldt. [Sun-Sentinel]Loan modification programs m ... More >>

UPDATED: Scott Rothstein Ends Ponzi Scheme Saga With 50-Year Sentence

​Scott Rothstein will spend 50 years in prison, a federal judge decided this morning. The sentence ends a seven-month saga since Rothstein's empire crumbled. Once one of South Florida's most politically connected lawyers, he swindled more than a billion dollars in perhaps the biggest fraud case in ... More >>

Scott Rothstein Can Now Help Prosecutors, but He Likely Won't Leave Prison Alive

Photo by Christina MendenhallRosthein's lawyer, Marc Nurik, asked for 30 years. Rothstein got 50.​Now that Scott Rothstein has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for his billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, the question is whether he'll actually serve all of it. The answer is likely no, but his best-cas ... More >>

Morning Juice: Rothstein's Friends Beg Judge for Leniency; I-95 Is a Freeway Death Trap

​A look at the local news for this Monday morning:During the confusion of last night's storm, a mother in West Palm Beach backed out of her driveway while her 3-year-old child was behind her SUV, striking the child, who is listed in critical condition. [WPTV-5]Lonely times for Broward Sheriff Al L ... 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 >>

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 >>

Scott Rothstein's Work as Mafia Rat May Help Him in Ponzi Case

CNN Does the Rothstein Story; Bob Norman Makes a Cameo

A reporter for CNN's Campbell Brown came to South Florida to hear Scott Rothstein's Ponzi story from the man who's been telling it better than anyone: New Times columnist Bob Norman. He appears at the one-minute mark of the video below. At the three-minute mark, Norman shows the reporter Rothstein's ... More >>

Morning Juice: Nurse Tells Her Version of Cop's Gunshot; Student's Body Found in Haiti

​Your daily glance at what's happening in Broward and Palm Beach media:Sun-Sentinel: The 59-year-old nursing assistant who had a Plantation cop fire a bullet through her car's window Monday night says she never saw a cop directing traffic and certainly never struck one with her car, as the cop who ... More >>

Arlen Specter's Charitable Donation Too Tiny to Clean Rothstein From Campaign

Flickr: radder photosSen. Arlen Specter will only give away a small portion of his Rothstein money.​Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter was another far-flung politician to ride the Scott Rothstein gravy train, to the tune of at least $4,200. This morning, Specter's reelection campaign is reporting tha ... More >>

Morning Juice: A Dramatic Day at Court With the Rothsteins; Are Rubins the Next Couple Headed for Federal Court?

​The headlines this morning in Broward and Palm Beach:Following his guilty plea to fraud charges in connection with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein received a sentencing date of May 6. He's hoping for leniency based on his having returned from Morocco and helpin ... More >>

Morning Juice: Lauderdale Cops Suspended Over Rothstein Ties; Mass Murder Suspect Makes First Remarks

​Amid Florida's longest, coldest winter, let's warm up with local news in Broward and Palm Beach on this frigid Monday.Two Fort Lauderdale cops who worked the Scott Rothstein off-duty detail have been suspended with pay. Sgt. Steve Greenlaw and Officer DeAnna Garcia-Lemieux. It's not yet clear wha ... More >>

Morning Juice: Rothstein Plea Deal Soon, as Story's Murder Plot Line Fades

​This is like one of those winters that the Ingalls family survived, isn't it? Let's try to press on, beginning with this morning's local headlines:In what Commissioner Bill Ganz described as a "painful" decision, he brought a motion to fire City Manager Mike Mahaney. Tempers flared. Accusations w ... More >>

Rothstein to Plead Guilty (Duh! Right?)

If you've been following the Scott Rothstein case at all, this forthcoming guilty plea had all the suspense of a Harlem Globetrotters game. Yes, the guy who voluntarily flew back from Morocco, who was quite obviously speaking to federal prosecutors about what evidence he could offer in exchange for ... More >>

Structured Settlement Industry Seeking Distance From Rothstein; Crackdown Coming for "Cash Now" Outfits?

Whatever Rothstein was selling, it wasn't structured settlements.​With all the scandal and intrigue that followed the fall of Scott Rothstein in early November, it was easy to gloss over the precise instrument he used to commit his billion-dollar-plus fraud. Even for former U.S. Attorneys, like Ke ... More >>

Morning Juice: Rothstein Links Threatening Sink Campaign; McCollum the Anti-Crist?

​Let's skim through the headlines for this Tuesday morning in Broward and Palm Beach:Shortly after Scott Rothstein's law firm made a $200,000 donation to the Florida Democratic Party, gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink's chief of staff helped the firm to be placed it in consideration for lucrative ... More >>

Morning Juice: Crist Talks Rothstein; Cops Charged in Riviera Beach

​It's Friday. If you are not hung over from your holiday party, then I offer my grudging congratulations. Here are the headlines:Those of you who suspected Scott Rothstein was a crook before he got busted, well, you must have a "crystal ball." So says Gov. Charlie Crist, who would like to borrow t ... More >>

Should Politicians Have Known to Steer Clear of Rothstein?

Flickr​In his interview yesterday with the Sun-Sentinel, Charlie Crist said that he considered Scott Rothstein a "friend." He said that until Rothstein's Ponzi scheme was discovered, Crist gave the Fort Lauderdale attorney the "benefit of the doubt." It appears Rothstein enjoyed the same status wi ... More >>

Park Avenue BBQ Boca Raton Building Owned By Scott Rothstein

​Scott Rothstein's own restaurant ventures with the Bova Group -- Bova Prime, the late Bova Ristorante, and what was to be Bova Smoke and Bova @ Casa Casuarina -- have to be feeling the sting of the prominent attorney's downfall. But other restaurants are being affected by the fallout as well. As ... More >>

Chief Frank Adderley Makes Statement on Rothstein

The story of Ponzi King Scott Rothstein's ties to Fort Lauderdale Chief Frank Adderley wasn't going away. And so the chief just issued a public statement:As the Police Chief and a life long resident of the City of Fort Lauderdale, I associate and have developed relationships with a diverse group of ... More >>

Morning Juice: Police Chief Joined Rothstein on Jet; Judge Tells Attorney to Le' Go Epstein's Egg-O

​A glance at the headlines this Tuesday morning in Broward and Palm Beach:Two more children have been diagnosed with brain tumors in the Acreage, adding to the suspicion the groundwater is contaminated. [Palm Beach Post]The Miami Herald took a closer look at how Hollywood Beach's Community Redevel ... More >>

Morning Juice: Wimberly Guilty; Seminoles Making Bank as They Wait for State Compact

​A few morsels of South Florida news, while you enjoy your breakfast:Is that Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderly, standing with Scott Rothstein on Broward Boulevard, at the scene of an August car crash that involved former Rothstein friend Moe Sohail's car? [JAABlog] And if so, is this what ... More >>

Morning Juice: A Sure Way to "Hook" an Investor; Familiar Charges for Son of Pedophile Clown

​It's Friday. A list of news-related questions the South Florida media hope to answer for you in the weekend (and weeks) to come:Where is Paul Merhige? Jupiter's Thanksgiving killer has managed to evade police for an entire week, and the manhunt has now gone national. [WPTV]This questions comes co ... More >>

Roger Stone: Judicial Nominee Was "Fixture" at Rothstein Parties

Flickr: estacey718Roger Stone, in a photo that ran with his profile in last year's New Yorker.​Roger Stone, the battle-scarred political operative once employed by Scott Rothstein, told Juice today that Spencer Levine had been a regular at Rothstein parties before Levine received a coveted appoint ... More >>

If Money-Bundlers Are Going to Jail, We're Gonna Need More Jails

Flickr: Jeremy JohnstoneFor campaigning politicians, cash is better by the bundle.​As word spread that Scott Rothstein's associates might be charged in the federal investigation for circumventing campaign finance laws, it must have made a whole lot of Broward folks anxious. If you work for a devel ... More >>

Bank Robbery on Las Olas

Photo: Fort Lauderdale PD​No, this one didn't involve Scott Rothstein. It was the lonely, forlorn creature to the left, who came to the SunTrust at 501 E. Las Olas this morning, then waited patiently for other customers to leave. This is from the Fort Lauderdale Police news release:Once he was alo ... More >>

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

Why Did Rothstein Care About Redistricting in California?

Flickr: Lenny FurmanTwo governors with whom Ponzi schemer Rothstein invested millions​From the Sacramento Bee comes word that Scott Rothstein's firm donated $250,000 to the campaign to pass Proposition 11, a ballot measure that was passed by California voters earlier this month. For a guy like Rot ... More >>

Rothstein Dealings With Broward Health Raise Questions About Judicial Appointment

photo: 4dca.orgSpencer Levine​Attorneys at Scott Rothstein's firm landed a highly privileged meeting with the executive leadership of the North Broward Hospital District in September 2008, the month after Rothstein was appointed by his friend, Gov. Charlie Crist, to the nominating committee for Fl ... More >>

Morning Juice: Bernie's Boats Go to Auction; Dalia's in Deep

​Let's check out local news on this Tuesday:Which boat of Bernie's floats your boat? The whole "flotilla" is to be auctioned today in Fort Lauderdale, with proceeds going toward a good cause: the scores of cheated investors. But mostly, attorney fees. [Sun-Sentinel]Dalia Dippolito, the Boynton Bea ... More >>

Morning Juice: Rothstein's $57 Million Counterfeit; Florida Sits on Economic Faultline

​Your daily dose of news from around Palm Beach and Broward:The FBI's due to hold a press conference this morning to ask for public assistance in agents' ongoing investigation of Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein. [Miami Herald]Curious about how Rothstein tricked Ed Morse into doling out $5 ... More >>

Rothstein's Donations to Jewish Community Center "Immaterial"

Photo by Downtown Jewish Center ChabadRothstein gave generously to Jewish causes.​One of the great ironies of Scott Rothstein's legacy in Broward County is the way he painted himself as such as a humanitarian. This spring, his Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm was a major sponsor of the Soref Je ... More >>

Scott Rothstein's Grift Straight Out of 419 Playbook

Rothstein executed a classic 419 scam​An article in today's Miami Herald about the method Scott Rothstein used to bilk his pal Ed Morse out of millions sounds like it came straight out of some Nigerian scammer's playbook. 419 fraud, also known as "advance fee" fraud, requires that victims wire mon ... More >>

Morning Juice: Adult Charges for Suspects in Brewer Case; Rothstein With a Bad Case of the Mondays

​Here's a look at what's happening in South Florida this Tuesday morning:Derek Hayward of WSVN-7 delivered a methodical, metaphor-rich report of Monday at the Scott Rothstein estate, where boats and luxury cars were seized by federal agents. "I'm alone now," intoned Rothstein. "I have very few fri ... More >>

Should Feds Let Charities Keep the Rothstein Money?

FlickrSynagogues received big money from Rothstein.​Based on this weekend's Daily Pulp, we know that Scott Rothstein's investors are going to try to get money back from the many charities that received his generous donations. That post triggered a conversation in the comments field about whether i ... More >>

Playboy No More: At Rothstein's Social Events, Modesty Reigns

Over on Pulp, Bob Norman has posted the first in-person interview with Scott Rothstein since the investment went into a tailspin. The image of Rothstein at Capital Grille, tossing back a couple of lunchtime martinis and being shushed by his lawyer may not seem particularly modest, but you have to un ... More >>

Rothstein's $5 Million Mistake

Flickr: rubber rat productions​It's a good thing Scott Rothstein isn't a more diabolical criminal mastermind. On Tuesday, I pulled county documents that show how he transferred several Fort Lauderdale properties -- whose total value came to about $13 million -- into the hands of individual private ... More >>

Rothstein's Jewish Legacy, Enshrined in Black and White

Photo Courtesy of Downtown Jewish Center Chabad​South Florida's Jewish community just can't catch a break. First Bernie Madoff, now an alleged Ponzi scheme by Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein -- what gives?Madoff lured Jewish friends at the Palm Beach Country Club to be investors in his Po ... 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 >>