When prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office filed an objection late last week for Ponzi-schemer Scott Rothstein to be deposed before creditors in a bankruptcy court, it gave one of the rare hints into where the feds are going in dismantling Rothstein's former associates.
Prosecutors say they're analyzing 850,000 emails from the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm, and Rothstein -- "the main repository of information," the U.S. Attorney's Office says -- has been talking to the feds since November 2009.
Among the crimes they're looking into charging Rothstein's cohorts with are mail fraud, wire fraud, campaign finance fraud, tax fraud, extortion, payments of unlawful gratuities, bank fraud, and money laundering -- among others.
"It is anticipated that an additional multi-defendant indictment will be
forthcoming," the prosecutors write in Fridays' filing. "It is
difficult to predict with exactitude when the proposed indictment will
be returned, but such indictment is anticipated within the next six
months."
The feds haven't even given a clue as to exactly how many people are going to be charged in the next round of indictments, but lawyers close to the Rothstein case tell the Palm Beach Post "that a dozen to two dozen
people could ultimately face criminal charges."
Prosecutors are trying to block Rothstein's return to Fort Lauderdale for the deposition to creditors because they're afraid Rothstein's information will tip off who the feds are after.
"If defendant Rothstein were to be deposed, at the present time, it is
feared that such corraborating evidence could be concealed, altered or
destroyed," prosecutors write. "Rothstein's deposition would provide a
detailed explanation of the criminal activities of coconspirators. Such
information would alert targets of the investigation as to the specifics
concerning their potential criminal liability and would potentially
reveal to them the identities of other witnesses against them."
The U.S. Attorney's Office's attempt to block Rothstein's deposition is scheduled to be heard on July 1 before U.S. District Judge James Cohn.
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