Nicky Scarfo Jr sentencing delayed in financial fraud case
Mobster Nicodemo S. Scarfo and his partner-in-crime
Salvatore Pelullo will have to wait two more months before they find out how
much time they will be spending as guests of the federal government for their
convictions in the FirstPlus Financial fraud case.
Sentencings originally set for this week before U.S.
District Court Judge Robert Kugler in Camden have been pushed back to June in
order for authorities to have more time to prepare what are expected to be
detailed pre-sentence reports.
Scarfo, 49, and Pelullo, 47, are looking at jail time in the
20- to 30-year range. Both have prior convictions which enhance the guidelines
used to determine the range of sentence in federal cases.
They each were convicted of more than 20 counts in the
racketeering fraud case. The government charged that the pair took
behind-the-scenes control of FirstPlus in 2007 and siphoned more than $12
million out of the Texas-based mortgage company through bogus business
transactions and phony consulting contracts.
Prosecutors alleged that Pelullo was the point man in the
takeover and that he and Scarfo used their mob connections to intimidate and
threaten FirstPlus officials who balked at the takeover.
Scarfo, the son of jailed Philadelphia mob boss Nicodemo D.
"Little Nicky" Scarfo, has prior convictions for racketeering and
gambling. Pelullo has two prior convictions for fraud.
At a brief hearing this morning, Kugler rejected a motion
filed by Pelullo asking the judge to recuse himself from the sentencing
process. Pelullo's lawyers argued that Kugler should step aside because the
judge had preconceived negative opinions about Pelullo that would make it
impossible for him to impose an fair sentence.
Kugler rejected those arguments. It was the third time the
judge has denied motions from Pelullo asking for a recusal.
Scarfo and Pelullo have been held without bail since their
arrests in November 2011. Scarfo's new sentencing date is June 23. Pelullo is
scheduled to go before Kugler on June 1.
Co-defendants John and William Maxwell also had their
sentencings delayed. John Maxwell, the former CEO of FirstPlus, will be
sentenced on June 24. His brother, a lawyer hired as private counsel to
FirstPlus, will hear his fate on June 26.
The brothers were convicted of racketeering and fraud
charges tied to the takeover and looting of FirstPlus by Scarfo and Pelullo.
Kugler revoked their bail and ordered them jailed after a jury delivered guilty
verdicts in the case last year.
http://www.bigtrial.net/2015/03/sentencings-delayed-in-firstplus-case.html#II9lKzAF2gOdW7ag.99
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