Gambino associate seeks new lawyer in bid to get murder sentence tossed
This gangster needs to do a better job at choosing his mouthpiece.
An imprisoned mobster who claims he was sold out by a prominent defense lawyer is facing potential problems with the new lawyer handling his case.
Reputed Gambino crime family associate John Matera — who’s serving 20 years in the slammer for setting up the 1998 murder of mob rat Frank Hydell — hired lawyer Seth Ginsberg to file suit last year in a bid to get his sentence tossed.
Matera contends that his previous lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman — who won acclaim for his defense of Mafia prince John “Junior” Gotti — had a conflict of interest because he was also representing another mobster, Thomas Dono, who took part in Hydell’s rubout.
But Manhattan federal prosecutors say that Ginsberg has a conflict of his own because he’s a “key witness” regarding Matera’s claims, which hinge on a secret recording made by another mob turncoat, Lewis Kasman, that Ginsberg learned about in 2008.
Under federal law, there’s a one-year statute of limitations to bring forth “newly discovered evidence,” and the feds say Ginsberg “has represented Matera since at least July 2009 — well more than one year before the filing of this motion.”
A court hearing into the matter is set for Wednesday.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mobster_in_lawyer_go_round_mwqSLXWUNVfKgQ9jhTnU2N
An imprisoned mobster who claims he was sold out by a prominent defense lawyer is facing potential problems with the new lawyer handling his case.
Reputed Gambino crime family associate John Matera — who’s serving 20 years in the slammer for setting up the 1998 murder of mob rat Frank Hydell — hired lawyer Seth Ginsberg to file suit last year in a bid to get his sentence tossed.
Matera contends that his previous lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman — who won acclaim for his defense of Mafia prince John “Junior” Gotti — had a conflict of interest because he was also representing another mobster, Thomas Dono, who took part in Hydell’s rubout.
But Manhattan federal prosecutors say that Ginsberg has a conflict of his own because he’s a “key witness” regarding Matera’s claims, which hinge on a secret recording made by another mob turncoat, Lewis Kasman, that Ginsberg learned about in 2008.
Under federal law, there’s a one-year statute of limitations to bring forth “newly discovered evidence,” and the feds say Ginsberg “has represented Matera since at least July 2009 — well more than one year before the filing of this motion.”
A court hearing into the matter is set for Wednesday.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mobster_in_lawyer_go_round_mwqSLXWUNVfKgQ9jhTnU2N
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