-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: January 14, 2007 11:04:24 PM PST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: "New Jersey Law" -- Former DoJ Attorney under Reagan
Moonlighted as Pimp
Prosecutor accused in NYC call girl biz
By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press WriterSun Jan 14, 6:13 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070114/ap_on_re_us/sex_in_the_city
It's a tabloid writer's dream. There's a boastful pimp, a federal
prosecutor turned tough-talking defense lawyer and a drop-dead
gorgeous woman once touted as New York City's top prostitute. Their
lives converge at a spacious Manhattan loft that housed a high-
priced escort service a mere three blocks from City Hall.
"Crime. Sex. Unforgettable people doing unforgettable things," said
Barry Agulnick, lawyer for Jason Itzler, the pimp. "This case
probably has more of the Hollywood element than any other I've had.
It's got a show biz aura to it."
The case took an intriguing turn this week when Itzler's previous
lawyer on the pimping charges, Paul Bergrin, was accused of taking
over the escort service and sleeping with the prostitutes after
police jailed Itzler in 2005.
Bergrin was a former county and federal prosecutor in New Jersey
before becoming a hard-charging defense lawyer, representing
clients including a soldier in the Abu Ghraib scandal. He was
charged Wednesday with operating a brothel and laundering its
profits through fake companies.
A phone number for Bergrin's lawyer was disconnected, but the
attorney told The New York Times the charges might stem from
prosecutors retaliating against Bergrin's aggressive courtroom
tactics.
Bergrin and Itzler crossed paths in January 2005 when authorities
shut down NY Confidential escort service. Few would have imagined
that Bergrin would eventually be accused of emulating his client, a
man who considered himself the king of New York pimps.
Itzler, 39, had run NY Confidential like a showman, promoting its
women and charging as much as $2,000 an hour for one of the
prostitutes, his girlfriend Natalie McLennan. His business card
called his service "Rocket Fuel for Winners."
Itzler made a lot money and spent it freely on such expensive toys,
including a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz and a $25,000 Cartier watch.
After he bragged to a tabloid in December 2004 that he was
untouchable, police arrested him.
He turned to Bergrin, 51, who had developed a reputation for
aggressive tactics and bluster. Bergrin didn't represent Itzler
long on the brothel charges — Agulnick took over the case more than
a year ago.
But authorities say the pimp and Bergrin still had dealings.
Authorities say Bergrin and two other men took over NY
Confidential's operations and kept the brothel running after
Itzler's arrest, employing Itzler's escorts and taking in more than
$1.2 million in prostitution proceeds in one stretch in 2005. They
laundered the proceeds through two shell companies, prosecutors said.
The business started to falter when they began having sex with the
escorts, and Bergrin paid the women with money out of the till,
authorities said.
The day after Bergrin was charged, Itzler, who pleaded guilty in
June to money laundering and attempted promotion of prostitution,
was sentenced to 18 months to three years in prison. Itzler told
the judge he'll "never run an escort agency again."
McLennan, who once graced the cover of New York magazine, was not
around. Their relationship appears over, Agulnick said. She's
scheduled to face trial next month on money laundering charges.
Agulnick believes Itzler will rebound and perhaps make a lot of
money one day — in "any legitimate business."
"Jason is a great entrepreneur," Agulnick said.
--------------------------
Lawyer of the Day: Paul Bergrin
http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/01/lawyer_of_the_day.php#more
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey has some
interesting and illustrious alumni.
Some are now distinguished federal judges, like Justice Samuel A.
Alito, Jr., and Judge Maryanne Trump Barry (3d Cir.). Some are high-
ranking officials in state government, like Stuart Rabner, the
Attorney General of New Jersey. One works as a legal gossip blogger.
And one former assistant U.S. attorney, if prosecutorial
allegations are true, went on to become a pimp. Meet ATL's Lawyer
of the Day: Paul Bergrin.
From the New York Law Journal:
A criminal defense lawyer who worked as a federal and state
prosecutor in New Jersey has been indicted for running a Manhattan-
based escort service, Manhattan District Attorney Robert M.
Morgenthau announced Wednesday.
The lawyer, Paul Bergrin, who has defended soldiers charged with
committing abuses while in Iraq, was arraigned Wednesday on a
fugitive warrant in Newark, N.J., and bail was set at $500,000.
No plea to the charges was entered, but Bergrin, 51, declined to
waive extradition at the proceeding.
Bergrin is a well-known figure within Garden State legal circles.
The Newark Star-Ledger accurately describes him as "a brash, high-
powered defense attorney who courted controversy." His clients
ranged from defendants in the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal to rap star
turned actress Queen Latifah.
We never had any personal dealings with Paul Bergrin when we were
in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Many of our fellow AUSAs did,
however, and he didn't have the best reputation. Bergrin wasn't
viewed as the most trustworthy or upstanding of adversaries. He was
the kind of defense lawyer who, if you had a meeting or telephone
call with him, you'd want someone else in the meeting or on the
call (in case there was ever any dispute over what transpired).
But we had no idea about Bergrin's little sideline in the
procurement business. For the details of this salacious story, keep
on reading.
The Star-Ledger describes how Bergrin allegedly got involved in
this venture:
According to Morgenthau, the indictments stemmed from Bergrin's
relationship with Jason Itzler, the owner of [the escort service]
NY Confidential, who was arrested on an Ecstasy drug charge at
Newark Liberty International Airport in 2001. Although both men had
gone to Florida's prestigious Nova University Law School, they
didn't know each other until Bergrin became Itzler's attorney. But
by 2004, the district attorney said, Bergrin had became deeply
involved in his client's escort agency.
NY Confidential, an (alleged) prostitution ring disguised as an
escort service, (allegedly) operated as follows:
The agency advertised extensively on the Internet, in New York
Magazine, and by word of mouth, and Bergrin received payments in
excess of $5,000 a month, said Detective Myles Mahady of the
Manhattan South Vice Enforcement Unit.
"The dates were booked for $1,000 an hour. It brought in about $1.2
million in the first six months," said Mahady.
The service had high-end clients, including professional athletes
and well-heeled Wall Street types. Everything was going smoothly --
for a while. From the NYLJ:
[I]n January 2005, Jason Itzler, who had been the service's
manager, was arrested. He subsequently pleaded guilty to money
laundering and promoting prostitution, and was expected to be
sentenced to 1 1/2 to 3 years during an appearance Thursday in
Manhattan Supreme Court.
A second indictment alleges that Bergrin, Cortopassi, Oritz and a
former escort continued to operate the business for another three
months, from Jan. 12, 2005, to March 2, 2005.
But the business did poorly during that period. Why? Back to the
Star-Ledger:
[B]y March 2005 the business had collapsed, because Bergrin was
apparently not the entrepreneur that Itzler had proved to be, said
Eugene Hurley, the assistant district attorney who presented the
case to a New York grand jury.
"Itzler was an extraordinary salesman and he knew how to get the
women and keep things working. Bergrin, however, was not prepared
to put the 20-hour days into it that Itzler did. Bergrin tried to
be an attorney at the same time," said Hurley.
We've never tried it ourselves, but it's probably tough to run a
law practice and a prostitution ring at the same time. While
Bergrin is to be commended for his entrepreneurial zeal -- lawyers
are frequently criticized as risk-averse weenies -- he should have
put more effort into his pimping career if he wanted it to suceed.
But perhaps Bergrin was distracted by free merchandise. From the
New York Post:
As a perk, the married, 51-year-old father of three from
Morganville, N.J., got gratis gratification from the gals.
"Mr. Bergrin was receiving free sex from the escorts," Assistant
District Attorney Eugene Hurley said, adding that the escorts were
still paid, out of the brothel's own coffers.
Winked Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau: "That's called eating the
profits."
"Eating the profits." Is there a preposition missing in that sentence?
Former U.S. prosecutor charged in call-girl ring [Newark Star-
Ledger via How Appealing]
A Tough Defense Lawyer Finds He’s in Need of One [New York Times]
Ex-Prosecutor Is Accused of Running Escort Service [New York Law
Journal via Law.com]
ALL RISE! LAWYER 'PIMPED' [New York Post]
It's allegedly hard out here for a former federal prosecutor [How
Appealing]
Paul Bergrin bio [Law Office of Paul W. Bergrin, P.C.]
--------------------------
From Bergrin's Resume http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/
bergrinPW/attorney.cfm#paul:
"May 1980-June 1983: Special Assistant to U.S.Attorney in U.S.
Magistrates Court.
April 1987- May 1990: Office of the United States Attorney, United
States Department of Justice, District of New Jersey, Criminal
Division. Handled matters pertaining to the RICO Statute."
1997: Director of RAPTOR Investments Inc [-- a FLORIDA-based
foodservice company that by 2004 had branched out into Internet
businesses and was evolving into a "holding company" staffed by new
executive officers with Italian names] ... http://www.secinfo.com/
drNmr.1De.htm
"USDA REPORTS ACTIONS AGAINST FIVE PRODUCE BUSINESSES
http://www.ams.usda.gov/news/208-05.htm
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2005 –– The U.S. Department of Agriculture
has cited five produce businesses for failure to pay reparation
awards ... These businesses have been barred from operating in the
produce industry ... "The businesses are: <snip> J & B Wholesale
Produce Inc., operating in Pompano Beach, Fla ... The officers,
directors, and major stockholders are Matthew J. Lovito, Darrin
Lovito, Marc A. Lovito, Paul F. Lovito, and Raptor Investments Inc."
http://www.romingerlegal.com/floridacourts/
court_opinions3/4D03-3190.html
"On July 9, 2002, the plaintiff filed a complaint against
Edward H. McCluskey, William Barnett, and Paul Lovito for breach of
fiduciary duty, breach of duty of loyalty, and fraud.
"The process server's affidavit indicated that he had spoken
with Lovito's mailman who told him that Lovito and the 'LBI Group'
moved on a regular basis. The mailman had come across Lovito and
the group on different routes. According to the mailman, Lovito
never stayed anywhere for longer
than two months, and the landlords were also looking for him. The
plaintiff alleged that he had exhausted his efforts, which included
checking public records, the telephone directory, and using two
process servers."
Raptor Investments, Inc. and Modern Technology Corp Launch Merchant
Banking Network Program for Select Companies
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. / (BUSINESS WIRE) - October 15, 2004
http://cache.zoominfo.com/cachedpage/?
archive_id=0&page_id=1097360681&page_url=%2f%
2fwww.moderntechnologycorp.com%2findex.php%3fpg%3darticle%26newsid%
3d10&page_last_updated=8%2f16%2f2006+9%3a15%3a08
+PM&firstName=Paul&lastName=Lovito
Raptor Investments, Inc. (OTCBB:RAPT - News) and Modern Technology
Corp. (OTCBB:MOTG - News) announced today, through their joint
venture relationship, the launch of a merchant banking network
program (the "Network") for select companies (the "Clients"). The
program will introduce Clients to the network of associates and
resources currently maintained by RAPT/MOTG in an effort to assist
in achieving their corporate goals.
Raptor (RAPT) is a diversified holding company. The Company owns
J&B Wholesale Produce, Inc. ("JBP"), a 10-year-old wholesale
produce distributor in South Florida with annual revenues in excess
of $10 million. In addition, RAPT provides merchant banking,
consulting and public relations services to privately held and
publicly traded companies. As part of its merchant banking
services, the Company will pursue various diversified acquisitions
on a regular basis.
Modern Technology Corp (MOTG) founded in 1982, Oxford, Mississippi-
based, is a business development and acquisition company, focused
on growth by strategic acquisitions and subsequent market and
revenue expansion. MOTG's current estimated year-end 2004
annualized revenues are $20,000,000. MOTG provides business
infrastructure, substantial intellectual capital, strategic
investments, and ongoing support and revenue growth assistance to
each individual company within its portfolio. In addition, MOTG
provides mentoring and assistance through collective operations
experience, significant industry contacts, and strategic and
tactical advice. The company's mission is to consistently build
shareholder equity through accretive acquisitions, to continue
providing both stock and cash dividends to its shareholders, and to
create and promote synergistic relationships among portfolio
companies and affiliates.
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