76ers beat Heat in Game 4!!

The Ministry of Truth U.S. Attorney's Office issued this press release about the cops trial:

"JURY CONVICTS TWO FORMER POLICE OFFICERS IN MORTGAGE FRAUD PROSECUTION"

Really?! How about, after a 9-week trial, 4 of the 6 defendants were found not guilty of all counts?

Nope. The press release says: "Mortgage fraud is a virus that has spread through our community and to all levels of the mortgage industry. We will continue our efforts to combat mortgage fraud at all levels, from straw buyers to complicit lenders."

The USAO isn't supposed to care if it wins or loses. It's supposed to care about Justice. But in recent years, DOJ has really ramped up its spin to the press. I understand wanting to get your side of the story out there, but this seems a bit over the top. No?

Breaking -- Verdict in cops mortgage fraud case

I am hearing from a reliable source that 4 of the police officers (including the FBI agent) were acquitted of all counts. One was found guilty of all counts, and one defendant had a mixed verdict. More to follow as it comes in.

Jon Burstein from the Sun-Sentinel sums up what happened:

A Fort Lauderdale federal jury acquitted three police officers and a FBI agent of all counts, while convicting a Plantation police officer and a former police officer of fraud charges.

The verdict came after a two-month trial in which the accused were charged with lying about their incomes and places of residence so they could obtain mortgages that otherwise would have been out of reach on their salaries.

Jurors acquitted FBI agent Robert DePriest, Plantation police officers Casey Mittauer and Daryl Radziwon and Lauderhill police officer Joseph LaGrasta.

Convicted were Plantation police officer Joseph DeRosa and former Plantation police officer John Velez.

Agent under investigation for accepting bribes from CI

Jay Weaver has the details here:

Authorities are investigating a Miami federal agent suspected of accepting more than $100,000 in bribes from a confidential government informant, according to several sources familiar with the probe.

The informant allegedly paid the bribes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Juan Martinez in exchange for his providing temporary parole allowing Colombians and others into the United States who were not entitled to the benefit, the sources said.

Martinez, who has been suspended without pay, is at the center of the federal investigation into his confidential informant’s alleged bribery payments, the sources said. Martinez, a former Miami police officer, has investigated Colombian cartels, paramilitary groups and other drug traffickers.

His attorney, Marty Raskin, declined to comment.

Not guilty verdicts in huge security fraud case before Judge Jordan

The case was United States v. Michael Lauer and Martin Garvey. It was a two month trial in a very large securities case that has been in litigation (either before the SEC, civil court, criminal court) for about a decade. Most of the other defendants pled guilty and testified in this trial.
This has gotta sting for the U.S. Attorney's office, who just had a bunch of lawyers leave the economic crimes division...

Congrats to my good friends Michael Caruso at the Federal Public Defender's office who was the lead lawyer for Lauer, and Hector Flores who represented Garvey. Caruso tried the case with D'Arsey Houlihan and Vanessa Chen. This is a great win for them. Congrats.

2:45 pm UPDATED -- Curt Anderson has a story up already for the AP:

The former chief of a multimillion-dollar hedge fund accused of fleecing investors out of $200 million was acquitted Wednesday by a federal jury of securities fraud and related charges.

Michael Lauer, who ran the Lancer Management Group and affiliated companies in New York and elsewhere, raised his clenched fists in the air when the verdict was read and tightly hugged his attorney, assistant public defender Michael Caruso. Lauer had faced up to 25 years in prison and hefty fines if convicted.

"There was nothing illegal here," Lauer said in an interview after the verdict. "The outcome, I believe, was inevitable."

***

One of the 12 jurors, 61-year-old Charles E. Floyd of Miami, said prosecutors simply failed to prove criminal wrongdoing in the complicated financial case.

"There just wasn't enough proof. That's the way I saw it," Floyd said. "He was guilty of surrounding himself with a bunch of jerks."

"Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."

That's how this funny order starts out. I like it.