Frank Parlato
What do El Chapo, Jeffrey Epstein, John A. ‘Junior’ Gotti [the late Don’s son], and Keith Raniere have in common?
They have the same lawyers.
Raniere, who is serving a 120-year sentence, just retained four new lawyers for his appeal, and for the possible presentation of new evidence that could potentially result in a new trial, and for the restitution hearings.
In her appeal for Raniere, Jennifer Bonjean mentioned that tampering evidence may form a part of a Rule 33 motion – a motion that requests a new trial based on new evidence that was not available during the trial.
Raniere’s supporters have maintained that the nude photos of 15-year-old Camila, which many consider to be the most damning evidence presented at the trial, were tampered with while in FBI custody.
FBI examiner Brian Booth admitted under cross-examination that the FBI lost custody of one or more of the devices they used to prove the pictures were Raniere’s.
The shock of the presenting of the Camila pictures was so profound that eyewitnesses describe Judge Nicholas Garaufis recoiling in front of the jury when he was first presented with the pictures that were to be admitted into evidence.
The four new attorneys made a notice of appearance before Judge Garaufis.
The new attorneys are Jeffrey Lichtman, Jeffrey Einhorn and Jason Goldman of the Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman – and Marc Fernich, who has his own firm.
All are located in NYC.
These lawyers have handled high-profile cases and have experience with the judges and prosecutors in the EDNY.
Marc Fernich
Marc Fernich, a Manhattan attorney, does criminal defense and appeals.
His clients include:
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loero
Jeffrey Epstein
Steve Madden
Malcolm Smith [State Legislator Accused of Trying to Bribe His Way into NYC Mayoral Race]
Gigi Jordan [Pharmaceutical Executive and Socialite Charged with Killing Allegedly Autistic Son]
Vittorio “Little Vic” Amuso, Peter Gotti, Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, Vyacheslav Kirillovich Ivankov [Alleged Crime Bosses]
Kurtis Blow [Legendary Hip Hop Pioneer]
Robert Simels, Larry Bronson [Criminal Defense Lawyers Accused of Crimes]
Tra’ves Bush [Naval Academy Football Player Accused, Militarily, of Sex Assault, Making False Official Statements]
Robert Malin [“Squawk Box Six” Member Charged with Inside Trading Based on Brokerage Firm Intercom Broadcasts]
Joseph J. Santopietro [Ex-Waterbury, CT Mayor Accused of Political Corruption]
Paul Cortez [Musician, Artist and Fitness Trainer Charged with Killing Girlfriend]
Armand D’Amato [Lobbyist and Ex-U.S. Senator’s Brother]
Carmine Agnello [Reputed crime family soldier; ex-son-in-law and -husband of John J. and Victoria Gotti]
Ferenc Koreh [Alleged Propagandist in Nazi Hungary]
- Named a New York-Metro Super Lawyer since 2009,
- ranked “AV” preeminent by the Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating firm,
- teaches appellate advocacy at Pace and Brooklyn law schools
- serves as a director for the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
- In the latter capacity, he co-chairs a friend-of-court committee that files public interest briefs on issues of concern to the criminal defense bar at large.
- A frequent author and lecturer on criminal justice topics, Fernich regularly appears in the media as an expert legal commentator. Aside from handling criminal appeals and motions, he also maintains active civil and trial practices
***
Jeffrey Lichtman
Lichtman represented John Gotti Jr. and secured a dismissal of three charges of murder conspiracy, an acquittal on a $25 million securities fraud charge, and a hung jury on every remaining count brought against him.
Some of his other clients include rappers The Game (who had his case dismissed) and Fat Joe.
In 2010, Lichtman’s client – who was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault – had his 27-year sentence vacated, and was released after Lichtman successfully argued that trial counsel was ineffective.
In 2011, Lichtman achieved an acquittal after trial for WPIX television reporter Vince DeMentri, on assault charges.
From 2011 to 2013, Lichtman hosted a radio talk show on AM 970 The Answer during the drive time.
In 2018, Lichtman represented Khari Noerdlinger, son of former New York City Hall aide Rachel Noerdlinger, on charges including manslaughter. After discovering that evidence was withheld that exonerated his client, the charges were dropped.
In 2018, he was hired by suspected Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to represent him in his federal trial in Brooklyn, which lasted from November 2018 to February 2019. Guzmán was found guilty of all 10 counts in February 2019.
Also with Lichtman are two lawyers with his firm, Jeffrey Einhorn and Jason Goldman.
The status of Raniere’s other lawyers – Jennifer Bonjean, Marty Tankeloff and Stephan Metcalf, and Joseph D. McBride – is unclear.
Bonjean filed Raniere’s appeal earlier this year. The presence of the new attorneys who are fierce opponents of the DOJ and not go-along-to-get-along attorneys suggests that Raniere plans to step up his game.
***
A Word on El Chapo
El Chapo was a mid-level provider of cocaine to the USA, the proof of which is that trafficking of cocaine has not slowed down one iota since El Chapo’s arrest.
During his trial, El Chapo’s organization was alleged by the DOJ to have trafficked 328 million lines of cocaine – “enough to provide a line of coke for every person in the US.”
It sounds big. But once you break it down – at 15 lines per gram – based on my calculations, it comes to about 50,000 pounds of cocaine – or 25 tons.
Based on statistics available online, Americans consume 4,000,000 pounds of cocaine per year. [2,000 tons].
El Chapo was responsible for less than 1 percent of cocaine sales in America – at best.
A low to mid-level trafficker.
Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
Re El Capo:
I still remember, 28 years ago, when the United States killed the drug lord Pablo Escobar. Nothing changed!
Cocaine became more expensive and the cartels smuggled in more cocaine.
Escobar was the alleged kingpin of the Columbian drug cartel, back when the Colombians were in charge.
Escobar ordered an international air flight blown up. It so happened that a US citizen was on the plane. That act enabled the US to go after Escobar full-bore. Another thing Escobar did was to hire gorilla-rebels take the Columbian parliament hostage.
Escobar makes Chapo look like a chump.
By God, there is a chance in hell the Bronfman brats will spend every last cent of their blood money inheritance on KAR yet! What was it Edgar Bronfman Sr. predicted? Coat-tails to torn tees in one generation? Tsk, tsk. Poor Clare may need to start a go-fund-me for prison commissary money.
BTW, would an overturned KAR verdict affect Clare’s who-cares sentence at all? BC, it sure isn’t going to restore anyone’s high-society reputation if that’s what whoever is funding this farce is thinking. In fact, KAR and NXIVM are now firmly in league with a whole host of convicted murderers from a PR standpoint. Pedophiles to cold-blooded killers in one retainer. …Can we complete production on the “Lost Women of NXIVM,” now?
His biggest issue is he seems to think appeals are a kind of doing the whole trial again when, in fact, you get one bite at the cherry and if you chose not to raise stuff, then in many cases that’s just tough. There will be limited possibilities on an appeal no matter how many lawyers he has.
Mebbe Epstein’s lawyers can get him suicided out of that oh so odious cell.
Not only did Epstein not kill himself. He wasn’t even Epstein.
This is the benefit of running a multimillion-dollar funded honey pot operation in which you have powerful politicians under thumb and foot. Though Raniere set his sights “high” and blabbed about doing this with DOS, he failed miserably because he’s fat and lazy, cared about little more than his little world and punani, and is not as smart as he thinks he is.
The bullshit label “national security” is just “national secrecy” for a select few — compared to the majority of the human population who don’t understand the significance of “human project” that they’re under — who attempt to control (and succeed more often than not) from the top down via a pyramidal structure of entwined ownership of corporations, the unbacked fiat-based financial system, media, academia, think tanks, political puppets, etc. If the social engineering project that is the global lockdown of COVID isn’t enough proof of its existence to everyone, then the sheep are really brain-dead.
It’s time to open up the flood gates of transparency EVERYWHERE, not just in the US where it is SUPPOSED to be guaranteed in the principle of a government “by the people, for the people”, not “by the few, for the few” like in the totalitarian regimes that exist in the world, in particular in China, where a totalitarian technocracy serving the interests of the few have become the model of the future world for the elites, where you will “own nothing and be happy about it”. If Parlato is serious about being an investigative journalist, then this is where the truth hides.
Is Clare still paying for his lawyers? I thought all her money was tied up while in prison.
I asked that same question, with different words, and my comment is still in moderation.
Suneel or Sarah Bronfman may be footing the bill.
Sarah could be using a 3rd party to pay for Raniere’s defense. I believe that’s the case.
Oh, wow! He really is a crime boss now!
If there is one thing that can get Keith freed, its most definitely the tampering with evidence charge his defense attorneys will be leveraging. The other stuff is window dressing by comparison. Its still a huge mountain to climb though because of the breath of charges. There is a good chance that all they accomplish is getting ride of the charge involving minors (forget exact phrasing) and only looking at a reduction of sentence, which considering his age doesn’t mean much. So overall, strategically a good move, odds remain incredibly low.
Some big, Big, BIg, BIG Money is behind Raniere.
Who?
It looks like the Bronfmans are pulling out all stops.
Or is it the Mexican oligarchy?
Looks like Raniere is going to be freed and even Claviger knows it.
Btw I don’t see anything Raniere did wrong
Two questions?
(1) What did I ever say to may you think that I believe Keith will be freed?
(2) Are you willing to share what you’re smoking?
You’re so magnanimous towards fools, Claviger.
Bangkok pulled your chain again!
SCORE
Bangkok 54
Claviger 3
The best representation Clare’s money can buy……..
Haha. Love the morally decrepit human slop all of these people like to fester in.
Just to try and get off on some baseless technicality even though everyone knows that the people they defend are so grimy and guilty as hell.
Couldn’t agree more with you! Oxygen thieves.