Feds Charge Democrat Florida Mayor With Money Laundering, Taking Bribes From "Bunch Of Russians"
Content adapted from this Zerohedge.com article :Source
by Tyler Durden
The Mayor of Hallandale Beach, Florida surrendered to authorities on Thursday on third-degree felony charges of money laundering, official misconduct and exceeding limits on campaign contributions.** Mayor Joy Cooper (D)** is also charged with soliciting contributions in City Hall - a misdemeanor. Each felony carries a maximum five year prison sentence.
Hallandale Beach, FL Mayor Joy Cooper
According to prosecutors, the FBI began investigating Cooper in May, 2012 - posing as wealthy real estate developers from California seeking political favors from Cooper in exchange for a Hallandale Beach project. The undercover agents hired disbarred Hollywood attorney Alan Koslow to represent them, who funneled $5,000 in campaign contributions to Cooper in the form of "checks from a bunch of Russian names," according to court documents. Koslow did not initially know that the men were with the FBI, nor that he was also a target in their investigation.
_ Alan Koslow_
"At the time, Alan Koslow was unaware that he was interacting with undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agents," wrote investigators. Koslow, 63, would eventually wear a wire as part of the sting, as the FBI recorded audio or video of every meeting, according to court records.
Koslow represented himself to agents as an effective lobbyist who "had the vote of the mayor," records show. During a July 10, 2012 meeting between Cooper, the undercover FBI agents and Koslow at City Hall, Cooper was recorded making assurances that she and two other commissioners were a "team of three" who could push the real estate project through, according to the arrest affidavit.
"Alan Koslow showed Mayor Cooper a number representing a proposed contribution and asked her if it was a good number. She replied 'No. Add a zero." Koslow confirmed 'Three zeros, is that fine?' and Mayor Cooper replied 'Yes,'" according to the arrest affidavit. Later that month, Koslow assured Cooper she would receive a $10,000 bribe in the form of two $5,000 contributions - before and after the August, 2012 primary.
In an August, 2012 meeting, Koslow and the undercover agents went to Cooper's home, after which they drove to the former Hollywood attorney's house and gave him a Dunkin' Donuts bag containing $8,000 in cash. Koslow **told the agents he would have two Russian organizations write checks for them, **according to investigators.
During a recorded meeting at the Flashback Diner on Aug. 20, 2012, one of the undercover agents told Cooper that "the pledged payment to her, via her campaign, would be in the form of checks from a 'bunch of Russian names,'" according to court documents.
In September, Koslow told one of the agents he had personally handed 20 checks to Cooper at a Hallandale Beach Chamber of Commerce fashion show, court records say. The checks, totaling $5,000, were broken down into smaller amounts that appeared to come from people with Russian last names, according to the documents. Cooper said "that's fantastic" when she got the checks, according to what Koslow told the undercover agents.
Cooper's campaign reported nine contributions from eight teachers and a retired person in the amount of $500 each, matching names on a list of donors Koslow had given the so-called developers, the affidavit said.
-Sun-Sentinel
Between September 2013 and May 2016, four different undercover FBI agents met with Koslow at least 75 times, however their discussions remain secret due to ongoing investigations in other matters. The FBI's had their final piece of major evidence after Koslow gave a sworn statement to investigators in November 2017, in which he admitted to the entire affair.
Cooper's attorney responded, knocking the FBI for using Koslow:
"We look forward to our day in court and the mayor's vindication," said Cooper's attorney, Larry Davis. "We're extremely disappointed that the Broward County State Attorney's Office is relying upon Alan Koslow, a disgraced and disbarred convicted felon, as the centerpiece of its case of alleged campaign finance violations."
Koslow, 63, was considered one of the most effective and best-known attorneys and lobbyists in the state, specializing in representing developers and the gaming industry. He pleaded guilty in August 2016 to helping people prosecutors said he thought were "quasi-mafia" criminals hide the source of $220,000 linked to illegal gambling and drug dealing. -sun-sentinal.com
The FBI concluded their investigation and handed the case off to state prosecutors in May, 2017 according to Broward State Attorney's Office spokeswoman, Constance Simmons. It is unclear whether Governor Rick Scott will remove Cooper from office, "as he customarily does when an elected official has been arrested," according to the _sun-sentinel. _"These charges are unacceptable," said a spokeswoman for the Governor, adding "We are reviewing our next course of action."
Cooper apparently began unraveling late last year - with her political rivals sending a letter to Gov. Scott asking him to remove her from office, after she allegedly showed up to a commission meeting and appeared to be under the influence of some type of "behavior-altering substance," according to the letter.
Cooper defended herself, saying she was severely dehydrated after contracting diarrhea during a trip to Mexico. Cooper was also accused of spying on her political rivals, after Vice Mayor Keith London and others say she planted a GPS tracker in their cars. Cooper suggested the rivals had planted the trackers as a political stunt.
And so, once again, America is graced with tales of mystery, malfeasance, and incompetence by elected officials in Broward County, Florida.
I'm puzzled how taking campaign donations from people who wish for your ear in a matter before the town is anything more than politics as usual. This is clearly an orchestrated takedown by her political enemies who have been trying to get her removed from office because they can't beat her in a fair election.
Nothing I can't stand more than a Democrat, but this is a conspiracy to use entrapment by law enforcement to create a crime out of nothing for political ends. The people behind this should also go to prison. All of Broward County's politicians should go to prison and start with a clean slate.
I'm also puzzled hearing that.
To be honest, I am kinda pleased by the effort of the law-enforcement in the USA. In my country you would never see this, people are so corrupt and yet noone seems to care. When decentralization takes over and smart contracts are the norm, we won't see these kind of headlines that often.
It appears the Russians are everywhere these days. From the Oval Office to the local election for Mayor, Putin isnt leaving anything to chance. LOL.
It is amazing how foolish some people truly are. To think that one would get away with something like that. What goes through people's mind? I guess greed for either money or power (or both) takes over.
This one deserves what she has coming to her. I think any one who betrays the public trust in such a way should receive double the sentence. It is one thing to do it in a private company (not saying it is right just shareholders are the ones to answer to, not the general public) but when you are enlisted as a "trusted servant" for the community, and you do this, throw the book at 'em.
I guess the days of being beyond reproach if you are a government figure are long gone, corruption is everywhere and it seems the more they have the more they want. I am concerned that it took so long to bring a case against her, thankfully it was only money involved, the thought it could have been weapons or terrorist attacks and they waited this long to actually have a case is a bit frightening
Great work from the feds though the investigation took long. Hope the misused funds can be recovered and returned to the people.
This is wrong and I feel more leaders should be investigated through under cover to grab more culprits.
Why do Russians always keep appearing in USA politics. A lot of dirty is coming from these guys and sanctions have got to be put on them.
Yeah I also hope so.
why did it take 5 years to uncover? almost sounds intrapment, keep going back and offering more till someone breaks down, entrapment is still a good way to get someone to turn on others to get a better deal for themselves, i am sure the DEMS and REp all over the country have to be pooping in there pants if they ever did one little thing wrong in there life, welcome to the world of Trump go get them all
What is entrapment bro??
Unfortunately, corruption from Russia is spreading all over the world. It seems they lack their poor country. The stepmother from the fairy tale about Cinderella said: The kingdom is not enough, there is no place to turn around.
Upvote anf resteem.
These issues took a lot of interest in her
You are like her
Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnetskaya, who met with Donald Trump Jr. during the US presidential election campaign in 2016, wants permission to return to the United States to defend the claim that the company she represented does not pay a $ 6 million settlement in an international money laundering case.
Vizhnitskaya represented Prevision Holdings, a Russian company which in May this year agreed to pay about $ 6 million to the US government to settle a $ 230 million tax fraud case involving Armitage Capital, which has invested in Russia.
The claim amount was due on Oct. 31, but the lawyers representing Prevision refused in a letter sent to the court on Tuesday, US prosecutors said in papers presented to a federal court in Manhattan on Monday.
It was supposed to get about half of the amount of the settlement of three million euros due to Brevison, which the US government asked the Netherlands to freeze.
Privizon said in a letter that the Netherlands lifted restrictions on the amount on October 10 but decided on the same day to freeze the account under a complaint from William Brauder, chief executive of Armitage Capital.
Prosecutors said in the document presented on Monday to the court that the amount of six million euros is payable regardless of the new freezing of funds and added that they intend to make a proposal to impose a settlement.
In her letter, Previson asked the court to assist Vyselnetskaya's access to the temporary immigration status of the United States as well as the company's owner, Denis Katsiv, so that she could attend the upcoming hearings on the dispute.
Veselnetskaya met Donald Trump Jr. in New York last year while she was in the United States to represent Prevision in the money laundering case.
thank you sir
I loved this very much. Thank you. @zer0hedge
Governor of the Monetary Authority. Committee. : The National Anti-Money Laundering Committee established under the provisions of this Law ... The offense of money laundering obtained from any of the original crimes shall be considered whether such crimes occurred within the territory of the Authority. National or foreign, ... why the money is stolen is not fair
Thank you sir for this useful topic. @zer0hedge
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