CashBowski
2 years ago
There’s finally a trial date. Two of the six named defendants took a plea deal. We’ll find out in the next few weeks who’s cooperating and who’s going to trial.
11/21/2022 197 Minutes of proceedings [non-document] before Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. Pretrial Conference as to Charles Vaccaro (1), Dror Svorai (2), Dennis Ruggeri (3), Kevin Hagen (4), Gary Berlly (5), Yosef Biton (6) was held on 11/21/2022. During the conference, counsel for the Government indicated and counsel for the relevant Defendants agreed that the Government has reached terms on plea agreements with two Defendants, and will seek to schedule change-of-plea hearings with those Defendants in January. The Government expects to know in the coming weeks whether change-of-plea hearings can also be held with two other Defendants with whom plea negotiations are ongoing. The Government will also hold a reverse proffer with Defendant Dennis Ruggeri and his counsel on December 8, 2023. In light of these developments, and on joint motion of the Government and all Defendants, the court continued this matter for a period of 60 days. The court finds, under 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A) and (B), that the ends of justice served by continuance of trial outweigh the best interests of the public and the Defendants in a speedy trial. Counsel for Defendant Charles Vaccaro, following up on his letter to the court dated November 17, 2022 (ECF No. 196), indicated that he would file by December 15, 2022, a motion for a pretrial hearing challenging the Governments restraint of allegedly forfeitable assets, so that Vaccaro may use those assets to pay for counsel. A Telephonic Pretrial Conference is set for 1/18/2023 at 10:30 AM. A Final Pretrial Conference is set for 3/2/2023 at 12:00 PM in Courtroom 19A before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. Jury Trial set for 4/17/2023 at 09:00 AM in Courtroom 19A before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. A separate trial order shall issue. (Court Reporter Lance Boardman) Time: 45 minutes. (R,Sh) (Entered: 11/21/2022)
CashBowski
2 years ago
07/18/2022:
Minutes of proceedings [non-document] before Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr.A Telephonic Pretrial Conference as to Charles Vaccaro (1), Dror Svorai (2), Dennis Ruggeri (3), Kevin Hagen (4), Gary Berlly (5), and Yosef Biton (6) was held on 7/18/2022 with counsel for the parties. AUSA Alejandro Abreu was present for the government. Attorneys Zelin, Amsel, Orenstein, Roberts and Hunter were present for their respective clients. Attorney Mullin was not present, however, contacted the court at approximately noon to apologize and advise the court that he was hung up in state court at a trial that was scheduled to begin this morning, and to briefly advise the court where the case stands as to his client, Mr. Ruggeri. The parties present indicated most have been engaged in conversations with the government regarding resolution of their matters. Defense counsel present made an oral motion to continue for approximately 60 days, so they can continue discussions with the government and their respective clients toward resolution of their cases, to which the government did not object, and the court grants, finding, under 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A) and (B), the ends of justice served by continuance of trial outweigh the best interests of the public and the Defendants in a speedy trial. A Telephonic Pretrial Conference is set for 9/20/2022 at 10:30 AM before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. Dial-in information will be issued separately. The court will set this case for final pretrial and trial should this matter not resolve by that time. (Court Reporter Heidi Geizer) Time: 20 minutes. (R,Sh) (Entered: 07/18/2022)
CashBowski
3 years ago
I think Vaccaro is best positioned to cut a deal. Feds were able to seize a lot more from him than Dror, and he has more incentive to come completely clean and negotiate the mother of all deals and burn them all.
Just the fact that he’s so worried about his dinghy tells me he’s incredibly shallow and materialistic and would do anything to get (some) of his assets back, and perhaps walk away with a hefty fine and a few months in prison, and of course a decade or more securities ban. This might be why Dror’s new charges are lagging.
Dror should also be quite concerned about what the president announced in his SOTU regarding pandemic fraud. He needs to negotiate a deal before congress approves to increase criminal penalties for the EIDL funds he stole to fund the CATV scam.
“The White House said the Justice Department’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force will also appoint a chief prosecutor to tackle pandemic fraud caused by criminal syndicates. Biden, in his State of the Union address, called on Congress to give additional resources to DoJ’s task force, and to increase criminal penalties for pandemic-related fraud.”
CashBowski
3 years ago
I think they’re still working the case. Don’t forget that Eli Taieb cut a deal almost immediately following the 1st indictment and turned over evidence against his co-conspirators. How many of those 4 new named defendants and other co-conspirators that showed up in the superseding indictment were the direct result of Taieb turning? Also, Michael Zoyes turned in Svorai 2 years later in the CATV scam.
My takeaway from reading the CATV files, the assertion of the FBI is Svorai hasn’t been truthful and is blatantly trying to hide assets — one thing I know for a fact is you don’t ever ever ever want to be caught lying to the FBI — you’ll burn any chance you may have for cutting a deal.
Just imagine, in less than two years Svorai ran another scam in CATV, took out hundreds of thousands in fraudulent EIDL gov funds, all while on house arrest, which implicated even more people. Now, there’s dozens of people and entities, public and private implicated. There could very well be parallel cases in the works against multiple people/entities as we speak. Having no identifying details of the funders, brokers, banks, PnD groups and promoters that are implicated, in at least two countries, we can’t know for sure how enormous this case is, but the FBI did note to the judge in the CATV nab, that ‘it’s a multi-million dollar case’, so it’s safe to assume a couple of years is nothing in the grand scheme of their investigation.
I’m sure the FBI has no problem squeezing these crooks through their attorneys with exorbitant fees sifting through mountains of evidence to build a defense.
We’ve chatted about a trip, and I’m def up for it on sentencing if possible
CashBowski
3 years ago
New unsealed docket update from FBI case:
Filed & Entered: 11/23/2021
Status Conference
Docket Text: Minutes of proceedings [non-document] before Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr.A Telephonic Status Conference as to Charles Vaccaro (1), Dror Svorai (2), Dennis Ruggeri (3), Kevin Hagen (4), Gary Berlly (5), and Yosef Biton (6) was held on 11/23/2021 with their respective counsel Randy Zelin and Eric Nemecek, Robert Ansel, Edward Mullin, Michael Orenstein, Justin Roberts, and Mark Hunter. Discussed, among other matters were the various pending motions, the voluminous discovery as it relates to each defendant, and the concern of defense counsel regarding whether they have enough information to appropriately advise their clients how to proceed. Defense counsel requested approximately 60 days continuance as stated on the open record, with no objection, which the court grants, finding under 18 U.S.C. 3161(h)(7)(A) and (B), the ends of justice served by continuance of trial outweigh the best interests of the public and the Defendant in a speedy trial. Order shall issue. A Telephonic Pretrial Conference is set for 1/25/2022 at 02:00 PM before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. Dial-in information will be issued separately.(Court Reporter Shirle Perkins) Time: 1 hour. (R,Sh)
CashBowski
3 years ago
Superseding indictment filled in the FBI case.
Companies involved: VPOR, POTN CLIC, WLAB, CNCC, GRCV
Charles Vaccaro count(s) 1s, 2s-8s, 10s, 15s, 16s-18s, 19s
Dror Svorai count(s) 1s, 9s, 15s, 16s-18s, 19s
Dennis Ruggeri count(s) 1s, 9s, 15s, 16s-18s
Kevin Hagen count(s) 1, 13-14
Gary Berlly count(s) 1
Yosef Biton count(s) 1, 11-12.
65 pages spanning years of fuc$ery by those named, and 8 co-conspirators, 8 Nominees, multiple front companies, unregistered brokers, promoters, family members, and finally brought to a close by undercover agents. Quite a read!
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17380178/united-states-v-vaccaro/
CashBowski
4 years ago
The FBI case against Dror Svorai, Charles Vaccaro, Dennis Ruggeri has been extended 3 months to provide defense time for discovery since there’s mountain of evidence.
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The court grants the Motion due to the nature and complexity of the charges, the massive volume and nature of discovery materials, and the location of out of District defendants and witnesses, as well as the additional reasons stated on the open record. This case is hereby declared complex pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(ii).