By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 12 – Fraudster Robert Bernardi pled guilty on August 17, 2022 to securities fraud, bank fraud and wire fraud - but not aggravated identity theft - in connection with bankrupt email security company GigaMedia Access Corporation.
Inner City Press live tweeted his change of plea, here and below. Immediately after the plea, his co-defendant Nihat Cardak had a pre-trial proceeding. They were going forward, they said - until they didn't.
The proceedings were before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul G. Gardephe. He ran through the elements; the AUSA asked that he specify the the wire fraud involved a bank. Inner City Press understands the bank that asked for the $10 million deposit to be Bank of America. He pled to 121 months.
Jump cut to January 12, 2023, when co-defendant Cardak came before Judge Gardephe to take a plea, and a deal. Inner City Press was again there, and is publishing the 60 month plea agreement on Patreon here.
Cardak's sentencing date is May 16 at 3 pm.
The August 2022 thread:
Judge Gardephe : it's securities fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud, 30 year max. I have a copy of the plea agreement, 121 months or less, you can't appeal.
Bernardi: Beginning in 2016 we began to use false GigaTrust financial statements. A bank demanded a $10 million deposit. I used wires to lie.
Sentencing is Dec 15, 2 pm.
Update: Same case, Bernardi's co-defendants Nihat Cardak and Sunil Chandra will be proceeding to trial, at least for now.
Chandra has been permitted to phone in to this proceeding. Does that mean we can / could?
The case is US v. Bernardi, et al., 21-cr-616 (Gardephe)
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