Acquitted:
October 17, 2023
An Ohio couple stole millions of Dollars from several victims throughout the country. Two investors from California and two investors from Arizona tracked down the couple living an Exotic lifestyle in Miami. The Investors hired two armed bodyguards to assist in their collection of their funds and took the Nanny and two infants from their house and drove them to the Pizzeria the Mother was running.
The Ohio woman was taken from the Pizzeria by force and the Nanny, two children and their mother were held for 9 hours at 3 different holding locations while the investors sent ransom demands to the husband/father with photos of the family and wiring instructions to be met by 8pm or else.
Six Defendants were charged with conspiracy to Kidnap and 4 counts of kidnapping with guns. One Defendant pled guilty six days before trial and agreed to a 17-year sentence to testify against the defendants. The Nanny testified our client snatched the sleeping baby from the bedroom of the home, forced them from the home, was locked in the car with child safety locks activated and held against her will. The cooperating co-defendant testified that our client provided a disguise for her to enter the pizzeria, was sent banking information to his phone to transfer moneys from the kidnappee as he went through her phone and found bank accounts. The house and pizzeria abductions were captured on video tape and the Government showed a video and called an expert witness from Volkswagen of America who testified that the video shows the child locks being activated by a co-conspirator as the mother was being forcefully placed in our client’s car.
Our defense was our client was hired to protect, was unaware it was a kidnapping and the Government’s witnesses were lying for a reduced sentence and special visa’s for victims. After a three-week trial our client and one other defendant were acquitted of all charges while the other three Defendants were convicted of the kidnappings.
Acquitted:
October 17, 2023
The son of Two Boston lawyers flew to Miami to visit his Boston childhood best friend. After a night out of partying, his host’s gun went off, striking him in the middle of the chest and killing him. The deceased’s Prominent Miami Doctor’s father hired the retired former second in command of the State’s Attorney’s Office to pressure the office to bring first degree murder charges. They brought manslaughter charges that would result in a minimum 15-year sentence if convicted. After a 1-week trial our client was acquitted of the charges and is now living back in Boston.
General Contractor and Boat Captain Acquitted of Manslaughter after Throwing Drunken Unruly Passenger Overboard:
October 17, 2023
Boat Captain Acquitted
A boat captain was acquitted after the passenger he threw overboard failed to get onto a neighboring boat. When both boat captains realized the passenger wasn’t on either of their boats an intense search ensued with several law enforcement agencies. The passenger was found floating dead in Biscayne Bay two days later.
Former Key West Head of Public Works Only Defendant Acquitted in IRS Tax Fraud Scheme:
October 17, 2023
Defendant Acquitted in IRS Tax Fraud Scheme
Our client, a former superintendent of the Key West Public Works Department, was accused of conspiring with his brother, sister, and niece of filing fraudulent tax returns and receiving several hundred thousand dollars in illegitimate refunds. The four family members were charged with using the names and social security numbers of federal inmates to file returns with non-existent jobs from companies that were bankrupt or out of business. Because some of the coconspirators were in state or federal custody at the time of the scheme, all of their communications were recorded. There were hundreds of hours of phone conversations spanning more than two years where the intricacies were discussed in great detail. Seven of the eight defendants in the two indictments pleaded guilty believing the evidence was overwhelming. Our client’s brother and niece agreed to testify against him, but the government decided not to call the brother after we obtained damning information through our investigation. Our client was on tape discussing payments and the tax returns. The jury acquitted our client of all counts. The acquittal was especially upsetting for the government because our client had also been accused of stealing two hundred thousand dollars’ worth of quarters when he was the Superintendent for Key West Public Works.
NFL Full Back Known for Running Through a Wall in a YouTube Video Accused of a Battery in a Weston Bar Fight
March 1, 2012
NFL Full Back Acquitted
Our client, an NFL full back, knocked out a college student with one punch and allegedly fled the scene to avoid capture. The Jury deliberated less than 2 minutes before acquitting him. The Jury had a question for the judge “how do they go about assuring the prosecution witnesses are charged with perjury.”
Award-Winning Yacht Broker Accused of Money Laundering
March 1, 2012
Yacht Broker Acquitted of Money Laundering
A successful yacht broker became the target of an IRS undercover, taped sting operation after a yacht from the company was used in international drug smuggling and another was purchased with cash that skirted the federal cash reporting requirements. An agent engaged the Ft. Lauderdale-based broker at the Annapolis Boat Show purporting to be the accountant of a successful businessman. The negotiations between our client and the supposed accountant and businessman lasted several months and involved videotaped meetings and sea trials and recorded phone conversations.
The undercover agents’ roles gradually went from successful business people to international drug smugglers. They ultimately let the broker know what the boat was going to be used for and why they needed to structure the cash payments the way they did. The undercover agents actually purchased the boat as part of the sting.
The broker was indicted and hired a former assistant U.S. attorney to defend him. That attorney reviewed the highlight video put together by the agents and informed his client he had no alternative but to plead guilty. The client did not want to plead guilty so he fired his attorney and decided to go to trial. When we took over the representation we reviewed the seemingly incriminating tapes and realized there were several recorded calls and meetings that were missing. We discovered audio recordings after long lapses of silence where the agents believed the recording devices were turned off discussing sensitive matters. After three weeks of trial our client was acquitted of all counts.
Corner Back and NFL Safety and Punt Returner Accused of DUI After Running Into the Back of a Police Car On the Highway
February 28, 2012
NFL Corner Back Acquitted
Our client ran into the back of a police car in the early morning hours. The officer claimed he was so drunk he had to carry him out of the car. The jury acquitted him.
A Miami Power Company Supervisor Accused of a $58 Million Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy
February 27, 2012
Miami Power Company Supervisor Acquitted
Six people were accused of conspiring to commit a $58 million mortgage fraud by purchasing luxury homes and waterfront condominiums at the Jade at Brickell and throughout South Florida using falsified mortgage applications. Four people pleaded guilty. Our client’s first five-week trial ended in a hung jury. Our client was acquitted of all counts in the second five-week trial.
All-American Defensive Back and First-Round NFL Draft Pick Accused of DUI After Blowing Above the Legal Limit
September 12, 2011
NFL Defensive Back DUI
The defensive back acknowledged he had been to a party on South Beach but said he was not impaired and did not have trouble driving his Cadillac Escalade. The jury acquitted him.
Miami Man Accused of Burning an Apartment Building after Confessing Three Times to Igniting the Blaze
September 12, 2011
Miami Man Accused of Burning an Apartment Acquitted
Our client was charged with burning the apartment of his girlfriend and the building she lived in. He confessed to the first police officers who showed up, the detectives on the scene and later on tape to the lead arson detectives. At trial it was shown that the client confessed only to protect his girlfriend, a clerk in the court house, from being charged with the arson. The jury acquitted our client.