Lakewood, NJ – The criminal case against accused Ponzi-schemer Eliyahu Weinstein has ground to a temporary halt while the embattled Lakewood developer straightens out his legal representation.
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U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Esther Salas granted a continuance until Jan. 17 to give Weinstein time to secure a lawyer and for anticipated plea negotiations to begin. This is the second continuance granted in the case; the first expired Oct. 31.
Weinstein was arrested in August on two counts of fraud in which he was accused of bilking victims out of about $200 million. A co-defendant, Vladimir Siforov, remains at large.
Weinstein’s attorney, New York-based Ephraim Savitt, wrote to Salas Oct. 14 asking to be relieved from representing Weinstein because he was not being paid.
The judge then gave Weinstein until Dec. 6 to secure an attorney, and scheduled another status conference for Dec. 9 “to address the issue of defendant’s retention of counsel and related matters.”
In an Oct. 22 letter responding to Savitt’s note, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Intrater and Mark Coyne told the judge that they took no position on Savitt’s request, but noted that Savitt is “only the latest of a long list of lawyers that defendant Weinstein has retained in some capacity or another in various matters involving allegations of fraud.”
Weinstein has been accused of fraud in civil court by a number of his former investors. Savitt was also his “unofficial” attorney in one of those matters, but asked to be relieved of that duty in a Sept. 2 letter to the court.
The reason, Savitt wrote then, was that a proper retainer agreement could not be reached.
Savitt said in an e-mail Tuesday that he is still acting as Weinstein’s attorney in the criminal case, and that no plea negotiations would begin “until the issue of long-term representation has been clarified.”
this proves he is innocent so they stopped the trial
To number one – No its just means he hasn’t found a good lawyer yet
You need a good psychiatrist.
It only proves he is scamming his lawyer too.
(reply to #1 ) this proves that you have no clue what you are talking about and that you do not understand simple things!
Plain and simple. Once a lawyer is retained and is of record on a case they must e committed to the case and need the courts permission to get off the case. There are very few situations where the court will let them off, one of the few is non payment which is clearly the case here. My guess is that he will end up with a court apointed attorney.
If you understand law this means he is innocent like number one wrote
Such gullible narrowminded people here. Can’t you all see the sarcasm dripping from #1 s lips? I mean c’mon people, lighten up!! Look at the seriousness of the responses to #1 , sheeesh!!!! Cracks me up!!!
If he decides to agree to a plea deal,it’s imperative that he have a highly skilled lawyer representing him, who has experience in negotiating plea deals in white collar cases. It’s absolutely crucial.
I know this guy personally. Wouldn’t hurt a fly and oy his tzedoka!!! Please let’s hope he really is found innocent by these goyim. Enough anti semitism.