Tag: bail

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Politics

SPAC pulled, bail listening to in UAE case modified

SPAC pulled, bail hearing in UAE case changed

Thomas Barrack, Executive Chairman and CEO, Colony Capital, participates in a panel discussion during the annual Milken Institute Global Conference at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 28, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Michael Kovac | Getty Images

A federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday ordered the release on a $250 million secured bond of Thomas Barrack, the private equity investor charged with illegally lobbying his close friend ex-President Donald Trump for the United Arab Emirates.

The order requires the release bond — which is among the highest ever set in the world — to be secured by $5 million cash, another $21.23 million in securities and Barrack’s home in California.

Barrack and his co-defendant Matthew Grimes, a 27-year-old business associate, had been in jail since Tuesday, when they were arrested in Los Angeles on an indictment issued in Brooklyn, New York, federal court.

Grimes earlier Friday was ordered released on a $5 million bond. Neither he nor Barrack were in court before Judge Patricia Donohue, having waived their right to appear.

Donohue ordered Barrack to surrender his passport, to be fitted with an electronic bracelet, and be subject to GPS monitoring and a curfew.

Barrack also was ordered to stay in the company of his lawyers until at least his and Grimes’ arraignment Monday in Brooklyn.

He also cannot transfer any funds overseas, is barred from transferring more than $50,000 except for attorneys fees, and is prohibited from trading securities without written permission from prosecutors. His travel is restricted to the federal Central District of California, and to the Southern and Eastern districts of New York, which encompass New York City, Long Island, and several counties to the north of the Big Apple.

Barrack was identified as a billionaire on the Forbes richest list in 2013, but since then has not appeared on that roster.

Earlier Friday, Falcon Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company backed by Barrack, told the Securities and Exchange Commission it is withdrawing its registration statement with the agency “because the company has elected to abandon” planned transactions.

The transactions had included an initial public offering of 25 million shares to raise $250 million for Falcon Acquisition, which was formed by Barrack’s family office Falcon Peak, and TI Capital.

Falcon Acquisition, which had planned to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, had said it was targeting tech-driven businesses as candidates for mergers.

A lawyer for Falcon Peak did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. 

Barrack and Grimes originally were due to have their bail hearing in Los Angeles on Monday.

But that was moved up to Friday after prosecutors reached a deal on bail conditions with defense lawyers.

Prosecutors earlier in the week had asked at Barrack’s first court appearance in LA on Tuesday that he be detained until at least he appears in court in Brooklyn for another hearing because of the risk that he could flee to avoid facing the charges. Barrack holds Lebanese citizenship and has a private jet.

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Barrack, who was chairman of Trump’s 2017 inauguration fund, is accused with Grimes and UAE national Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi of secretly advancing Emirates’ interests at the direction of senior officials of the oil-rich Gulf country. Prosecutors said the three influenced the foreign policy positions of Trump’s 2016 campaign, and continued that effort during Trump’s presidency through April 2018.

Barrack also is charged with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 2019 interview with federal law enforcement agents.

The indictment noted that Barrack at the same time informally advised American officials on Middle East policy, and sought appointment to a senior role in the U.S. government, including as special envoy to the Middle East.

Alshahhi, 43, remains at large.

Barrack stepped down last year as CEO of Colony Capital, a private equity firm he founded, and as its executive chairman in April.

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World News

Trend Mogul Peter Nygard Denied Bail by Canadian Choose

Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Denied Bail by Canadian Judge

Mr Nygard appeared in court via video link from prison and looked like the shell of the man who was once plastered on billboards in New York’s Times Square and Winnipeg Airport. His gray hair, usually covered in a lion’s mane, was tied in a messy bun. He was wearing a face mask and gray-blue shirt while in jail and stared straight ahead without reacting to the judge’s decision.

Updated

Apr. 5, 2021 at 4:14 pm ET

Denied bail is relatively rare in Canada, especially for those with no criminal record like Mr Nygard, said Seth Weinstein, a Toronto criminal defense attorney who co-authored a book on extradition cases.

Mr Prober said he would wait for more information on the charges from the US prosecutor’s office before deciding on his client’s next steps. It is very unlikely that a challenge from Mr Nygard to his extradition would be successful, experts said.

“In Canada, it is almost impossible not to be extradited, especially to our good friends the US,” said Robert Currie, professor of international criminal law at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He added that wealthy people, using all legal means, could prevent extradition for a few years.

In Canada, the bail system is largely based on community trust and connections and does not involve large cash deposits and commercial bail-borrowers as is the case in many US states.

Instead, in most cases, the defendant needs to find one or more “guarantees” – usually a family member or lifelong friend who pledges collateral, often in the form of property. More importantly, they also agree to supervise the accused, make sure the accused keeps bail set by the court, and notify the police of any violations.

In Mr. Nygard’s case, none of his 10 children, ex-girlfriends, or longtime businesspeople who helped set up his business appeared in court as a proposed surety. Instead there were two employees: one a former site manager with a criminal record of cocaine trafficking and a previous association with the Hells Angels motorcycle club, and the other a former director who still works for Mr Nygard overseeing the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

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Politics

Choose denies bail to accused Jeffrey Epstein confederate

Prosecutors oppose bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, accused Jeffrey Epstein maadam

Ghislaine Maxwell appears via video link during her trial in which she was denied bail for assisting Jeffrey Epstein in the recruitment and eventual abuse of underage girls in federal court in Manhattan on July 14, 2020 in New York in this court sketch.

Jane Rosenberg | Reuters

A federal judge on Monday denied bail for the second time for Ghislaine Maxwell, the wealthy British celebrity accused of grooming underage girls in order to be sexually abused by money manager Jeffrey Epstein.

Judge Alison Nathan, like the first bail denial in July, stated that Maxwell poses a serious aviation risk given her property, multi-country citizenship, and the severity of the charges she faces.

The rejection came three days after Maxwell celebrated her 59th birthday on Christmas Day in a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York.

In her most recent bail motion, Maxwell requested the release of a $ 22.5 million personal note of appreciation, with seven relatives and friends pledging $ million as security for their appearances in court.

Maxwell also suggested that armed guards have her stay in a residence in New York City and be monitored with an electronic device.

Prosecutors firmly denied the motion, and Nathan agreed to their order in Manhattan federal court on Monday.

“The court … finds that the defendant’s proposed bail conditions would not adequately guarantee her appearance in future trials,” wrote Nathan in the judgment.

“The Court concludes that none of the new information provided by the defendant in support of its application has a material bearing on the Court’s finding that it constitutes a flight risk.”

Nathan also wrote a lengthy statement explaining her reasons for not bailing Maxwell.

However, the judge is holding this document from the public court records for the time being to give Maxwell attorneys and prosecutors time to suggest editorships they believe are warranted to protect potentially confidential information.

Maxwell, arrested in New Hampshire on July 2, pleaded not guilty to the case.

In addition to allegations related to allegedly recruiting and caring for several underage girls for her ex-boyfriend Epstein in the 1990s, Maxwell is charged with perjury for alleged lying during a deposit of a lawsuit filed by an Epstein prosecutor.

She is due to stand trial next year.

The 66-year-old Epstein died in August 2019 in a federal prison in Manhattan as a result of a suicide by hanging.

At the time of his death, Epstein was being held without bail for trafficking in children.

Epstein, a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, previously pleaded guilty to Florida charges of including paying an underage girl for sexual services.

In this case, he was imprisoned for 13 months but was released for much of that time on account of being fired.

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Politics

Prosecutors oppose bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, accused Jeffrey Epstein madam

Prosecutors oppose bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, accused Jeffrey Epstein maadam

Ghislaine Maxwell appears via video link during her trial in which she was denied bail for assisting Jeffrey Epstein in the recruitment and eventual abuse of underage girls in federal court in Manhattan on July 14, 2020 in New York in this court sketch.

Jane Rosenberg | Reuters

Federal prosecutors on Friday asked a judge to deny Ghislaine Maxwell’s new bail motion. There are no conditions that could ensure that the British celebrity does not flee to avoid a lawsuit for alleged sexual abuse of Jeffrey Epstein by children.

“The defendant poses an extreme aviation risk,” the district attorney wrote in a Manhattan federal court, filed days after Maxwell’s proposal to be released from a federal prison in Brooklyn on $ 28.5 million bail.

“The criminal conduct described in the indictment remains incredibly grave, the evidence against the defendant remains strong, and the defendant continues to have extensive financial resources and foreign connections, as well as a proven ability to live in hiding over the long term,” so the prosecutor wrote.

The filing includes a letter with a statement from Annie Farmer, a woman who says Maxwell and Epstein sexually abused her.

Farmer wrote that she did not believe that she or “any of the women [Maxwell] exploited will see justice when released on bail. “

“She has led a privileged life and abused her position of power to live beyond the rules. Escaping the country to flee again would fit in with her long history of anti-social behavior,” wrote Farmer.

Maxwell denies having committed any crimes.

Judge Alison Nathan turned down Maxwell’s first offer of bail after she was arrested in July for recruiting and caring for several underage girls who were later molested by the late money manager Epstein, a former friend of hers.

Nathan said at the time that because of her citizenship in France and the UK and her significant wealth, she posed an extreme flight risk.

In her new bail motion, Maxwell requested the release of a bail package backed by a personal note of appreciation equal to the value of her and her husband’s declared assets, plus millions of seven more relatives and close friends should be secured.

Maxwell has suggested that armed guards make sure she stays in a residence in New York City and is monitored with an electronic device.

“Ms. Maxwell is firmly committed to her innocence and is determined to defend herself,” wrote her lawyers.

“All she wants is to stay in this country to fight the allegations against her, which are based on the unconfirmed testimony of a handful of witnesses about events that took place over 25 years ago.”

Prosecutors said on their file filed Friday that Maxwell’s new bail request largely “re-enacts” the arguments she made in July when her first bail application was denied.

And prosecutors said her offer to effectively waive extradition from France if she skipped bail was of no weight given that the French Justice Ministry had reiterated to prosecutors that the nation would not extradite its citizens for prosecution.

The file also noted that Maxwell’s bail application “now claims that her marriage would remain in the United States, but her application does not address the clearly inconsistent statements she made to Pretrial Services at the time of her arrest”, when she said it was her “‘in the process of her husband’s divorce.'”

“Accordingly, the defendant’s foreign connections, wealth, and ability to avoid detection continue to have a positive impact on detention,” the prosecutor wrote.

The 66-year-old Epstein died in a Manhattan prison in August 2019 as a result of a suicide by hanging. He had been arrested the previous month for federal sexual trafficking.

Epstein was a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.

Categories
Politics

Prosecutors oppose bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, accused Jeffrey Epstein maadam

Prosecutors oppose bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, accused Jeffrey Epstein maadam

Ghislaine Maxwell appears via video link during her trial in which she was denied bail for assisting Jeffrey Epstein in the recruitment and eventual abuse of underage girls in federal court in Manhattan on July 14, 2020 in New York in this court sketch.

Jane Rosenberg | Reuters

Federal prosecutors on Friday asked a judge to deny Ghislaine Maxwell’s new bail motion. There are no conditions that could ensure that the British celebrity does not flee to avoid a lawsuit for alleged sexual abuse of Jeffrey Epstein by children.

“The defendant poses an extreme aviation risk,” the district attorney wrote in a Manhattan federal court, filed days after Maxwell’s proposal to be released on bail of $ 28.5 million.

“The criminal conduct described in the indictment remains incredibly grave, the evidence against the defendant remains strong, and the defendant continues to have extensive financial resources and foreign connections, as well as a proven ability to live in hiding over the long term,” so the prosecutor wrote.

Maxwell, who denies the commission of crimes, is currently in a federal prison in Brooklyn.

Judge Alison Nathan turned down Maxwell’s first bail offer after she was arrested in July for recruiting and caring for several underage girls who were later molested by the late money manager Epstein, a former friend of hers.

Nathan said at the time that because of her citizenship in France and the UK and her significant wealth, she posed an extreme flight risk.

In her new bail motion, Maxwell requested the release of a bail package backed by a personal note of appreciation equal to the value of her and her husband’s declared assets, plus millions of seven more relatives and close friends should be secured.

Maxwell has suggested that armed guards make sure she stays in a residence in New York City and is monitored with an electronic device.

“Ms. Maxwell is firmly committed to her innocence and is determined to defend herself,” wrote her lawyers.

“All she wants is to stay in this country to fight the allegations against her, which are based on the unconfirmed testimony of a handful of witnesses about events that took place over 25 years ago.”

Prosecutors said on their file filed Friday that Maxwell’s new bail request largely “re-enacts” the arguments she made in July when her first bail application was denied.

And prosecutors said her offer to effectively waive extradition from France even though she skipped bail was of no weight as that nation’s officials had repeated to prosecutors that they were not extraditing their citizens from law enforcement.

The file also noted that Maxwell’s bail application “now claims that her marriage would remain in the United States, but her application does not address the clearly inconsistent statements she made to Pretrial Services at the time of her arrest”, when she said it was “in the process of her husband’s divorce.” “”

“Accordingly, the defendant’s foreign connections, wealth, and ability to avoid detection continue to have a positive impact on detention,” the prosecutor wrote.

The 66-year-old Epstein died in a Manhattan prison in August 2019 as a result of a suicide by hanging. He had been arrested the previous month for federal child trafficking.

Epstein was a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.