2nd Circuit Court

Suspended lawyer gets 12 months in federal prison for his role in $3.5M mortgage fraud

Add another real estate closing attorney to the annals of those sentenced to serve time for playing a role in a mortgage fraud. Suspended Connecticut lawyer Gabriel Serrano, 49, was sentenced Friday to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to…

May 11, 2015 12:45 PM CDT

NY Senate majority leader is on leave from his law firm job after arrest

Arrested Monday, along with his son, in a federal corruption case, Dean Skelos has so far retained his position as majority leader of the New York Senate. However, the Republican is no longer listed on the attorney roster as counsel to the Uniondale law firm with which he had been…

May 8, 2015 2:35 PM CDT

2nd Circuit rules NSA phone surveillance program is not authorized by Patriot Act

A sweeping National Security Agency program that collects and stores so-called metadata for nearly all United States phone calls in a searchable database is not authorized by the Patriot Act, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Section 215 of the Patriot Act “cannot bear the weight the government asks us…

May 7, 2015 10:45 AM CDT

Split jury verdict for former Goldman Sachs programmer accused in code-theft case

A former programmer for Goldman Sachs didn’t dispute that he took computer trading code with him when he exited for a new job. However, while Sergey Aleynikov violated the bank’s confidentiality policy by doing so, he committed no crime, his lawyer, Kevin Marino told a New York state-court jury in…

May 1, 2015 11:55 AM CDT

$1.7M cemetery theft gets lawyer up to 13 years; he’s already serving federal time in tax case

A New York lawyer brought in to oversee a cemetery’s operations after an official stole $850,000, helped himself to $1.77 million more, the state attorney general says. Meanwhile, Timothy Griffin had allegedly embezzled nearly $1 million from money he held in escrow for real estate clients in his Westchester County…

Apr 28, 2015 2:45 PM CDT

Long-serving federal judge, 92, says ice-skating energizes him for work

A long-serving federal judge in New York City credits morning ice-skating sessions for his continuing service. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet, 92, took up the sport when he was in his seventies, after his wife gave him a pair of figure skates for his birthday as something of a…

Apr 24, 2015 3:50 PM CDT

NYC transit agency may ban all political ads to avoid complying with federal judge’s ruling

Ordered by a federal judge in Manhattan to allow a pro-Israel satirical “killing Jews” ad on buses and subways, New York City transit officials have come up with a new strategy to block it. In a Friday letter to U.S. District Judge John Koeltl, a lawyer for the Metropolitan Transportation…

Apr 24, 2015 2:40 PM CDT

Ex-Dewey partner’s $500K loan shouldn’t be discharged because he lied about assets, bank says

A Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy filing by a former partner of now-shuttered Dewey & LeBoeuf ordinarily would discharge unsecured loans. However, in a complaint filed Monday in federal bankruptcy court in Connecticut, JPMorgan Chase says John Altorelli should still have to pay back all of the $500,000 he owes for…

Apr 23, 2015 11:10 AM CDT

Man sues NYPD, says he was denied seizure medicine even though he was wearing a hospital bracelet

Ronaile Elianor says he was still wearing a hospital bracelet and had his medical discharge papers in his backpack in March when he was arrested by New York police, along with a friend, after officers allegedly saw smoke coming out of the window of their vehicle. Although the paperwork backed…

Apr 17, 2015 11:00 AM CDT

Former investment adviser charged with defrauding JP Morgan Chase clients of $20M

A longtime former investment adviser for wealthy clients of J.P. Morgan Chase was arrested Thursday and is facing federal charges after allegedly defrauding them of $20 million over a three-year period.` Michael Oppenheim, 48, allegedly lost most of the money almost immediately through what the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission…

Apr 16, 2015 12:55 PM CDT

GM bankruptcy filing in 2009 blocks economic loss claims in ignition-switch cases, judge rules

General Motors Co. is protected by its 2009 bankruptcy filing from being held liable for claims that arose prior to that date, a Manhattan bankruptcy judge ruled on Wednesday. The decision in the Chapter 11 case is expected to affect primarily vehicle owners claiming economic loss due to the diminished…

Apr 16, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

US attorney ‘close to the edge’ in comments on indicted lawmaker, but federal judge won’t nix case

The U.S. attorney for Manhattan went “close to the edge” in public comments about indicted lawmaker Sheldon Silver, a federal judge said Friday. However, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni denied a motion to dismiss the case against former speaker Silver, due to Preet Bharara’s conduct. Silver, a Democrat, is still…

Apr 13, 2015 11:05 AM CDT

Man who lied about assets to get free defense counsel is convicted of perjury in federal court

Already serving an almost 19-year federal prison sentence for possessing and transporting child pornography, a New York man was convicted of perjury last week in federal court in Syracuse. Prosecutors said Joseph Jenkins, 45, concealed $200,000 in investment accounts and his ownership of boats and recreational vehicles when applying for…

Apr 6, 2015 6:30 AM CDT

2nd Circuit refuses to reconsider its ruling limiting insider-trading convictions

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will not hear a challenge to a December ruling which sharply limited the ability of federal authorities to bring insider-trading cases. The New York Times reported Friday that the court issued a brief order denying a request by U.S. Attorney…

Apr 3, 2015 3:00 PM CDT

Feds charge former BigLaw attorney with aiding client’s fraudulent attempt to get money to buy Maxim

A former BigLaw attorney was arrested Wednesday for allegedly helping a client impersonate his wealthy father, in a fraudulent attempt to get financing to purchase the men’s magazine Maxim. Attorney Harvey Newkirk, 39, was charged with aggravated identity theft, conspiracy and wire fraud in a criminal complaint filed in federal…

Apr 1, 2015 3:30 PM CDT