Friday, March 4, 2011

New York's Kickback Conflicts Via Estates and Trusts

Judge in Alan Hevesi pension fund pay-to-play case tangled in lawyer's family business
The New York Daily News by Kenneth Lovett - March 4, 2011

Alan Hevesi pleaded guilty last year to pocketing $1 million in gifts for himself and colleagues in a pension fund pay-to-play scandal.

ALBANY, NY - The judge overseeing disgraced ex-Controller Alan Hevesi's conflict of interest case may have a major conflict of his own. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lewis Bart Stone has a financial relationship with the estranged father of Hevesi's lawyer, it was revealed in court this week. While the potential conflict isn't expected to impact Hevesi's felony corruption guilty plea, it could lead to a new sentencing judge. Hevesi's lawyer, Bradley Simon, asked Stone to recuse himself from the sentencing - which has been postponed to March28. "I think the ethical quagmire is overwhelming," a transcript shows Simon told the judge. Stone is a longtime friend of Simon's dad and informed the lawyer at the March 1 hearing that he is the executor of the father's wills and trustee of his living trust. He then blabbed that Simon wasn't listed as a beneficiary of his father's trusts or will. "I may have overspoke," Stone acknowledged at one point. He insisted multiple times he sees no reason for recusal, saying he did not prepare any of the Simon family documents nor have a financial interest with Bradley Simon. Hevesi pleaded guilty last year to pocketing $1 million in gifts for himself and colleagues in a pension fund pay-to-play scandal. He faces up to four years in jail.
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18 comments:

  1. Victim of LippmanMarch 4, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Sounds like a new payoff method. Very clever. In the old days a nice fat envelope full of cash did the trick. But now the greedy bastards need and demand a lot more money and the of robbing trusts and estates is the nice way to go. And piles of cash can be hidden through "legal fees" Thankfully, New York's top criminals have their chief judge Lippman who will give a waiver to any regulation preventing such scams. Why do we have rules and laws if Lippman can simply give a waiver?

    ReplyDelete
  2. RICOMarch 4, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    It's about the money.. No it's about the land..

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/46087140/10-12-30-Lewis-et-al-v-Gleason-et-al-1-10-cv-01850-in-the-US-District-Court-Colorado-%E2%80%93-Opinion-Regarding-PACER-Docket-and-Court-Records-in-a-Civil

    Code word.. Waste and Gentile in Suffolk??

    ReplyDelete
  3. FraudintheRECORDMarch 4, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    Now where have I seen this before??

    meticulously constructed to convey the perception of valid litigation



    http://www.examiner.com/business-headlines-in-los-angeles/fraud-on-the-court-opined-litigation-civil-rights-matter-us-district-court-colorado#ixzz1FdE8cVoh

    ReplyDelete
  4. ooOOOpsMarch 4, 2011 at 7:13 AM

    Probably shouldn't have posted that..

    Wouldn't want someone to think that there are others doing something...

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    Something the article forgot to mention.


    This is one of those "Certificated" judges. So he owes his job to the OCA.

    ReplyDelete
  6. theFixerMarch 4, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    So what happened with Judge Kent (in Suffolk Supreme)?

    back in '05, '06 ish..the OCA was thought to have sanctioned him..

    but now I see he's been "Certificated" ..

    Did the OCA just change its mind??

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  7. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    The system is rotten from the top, Judge Lippman and Andrew Cuomo, on down. When did Lippman and Cuomo know, needs to be corrected to when did they receive kickback protection money?

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    I have a question..

    Couldn't the LAWyers who have been maliciously disbarred prosecute suits as PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERALs?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    Kinda like he who laughs last, laughs best??

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_attorney_general

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    The Corrupt may have inadvertently drafted/disbarred soldiers for the other side..

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Form a PAG association!!

    Make a site!!!

    Hurry!!!

    There's so much work to be done!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 9:45 AM

    Search the Internet!!!

    Invite your brethren!!!!

    Strength in NUMBERS..

    Deuteronomy too maybe... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    If you have committed yourself as an OCA insider, many benefits will be afforded you: money, favors, retaliation by a forceful machine against your enemies. All you have to do is sell your soul and all the insiders know what to do. The New York Court System is that corrupt, and that simple.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 8:48 PM

    Yes, go ask Judge John K. McGuirk from the Orange County Supreme Court in Goshen, New York how much does he charges to rig child custody and divorce cases and if the fee goes up when the children are going to be sexually exploited?

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  15. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    These gangsters are all over the Trust, Estate & Guardianship racket! And that's because that's where the BIG MONEY is1

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousMarch 5, 2011 at 3:56 AM

    A little humor..One of the questions asked on Family Feud:

    What's a great profession to go into if your a LIAR? Take a wild guess what the answer was!!! Yep, LAWYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    They should change the initials after a lawyers name..instead of ESQ. it should be LTS..(License to Steal).

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMarch 5, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    FYI:
    Interesting article in today's NYTs

    Armies of Expensive Lawyers, Replaced by Cheaper Software

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/science/05legal.html


    It's a start.


    .

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousMarch 5, 2011 at 11:18 PM

    The Trust and Estate attorneys love their business because they can do anything they want and get away with it since the client is dead. And that's a great time to steal everything they can

    ReplyDelete