By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 24 – Ruless Pierre was convicted of securities fraud and embezzlement. Inner City Press covered the trial, see below.
On June 10, 2021 his Simpson Thacher CJA lawyers moved for acquittal, arguing that the "Amongst Friends Promissory Notes" were not securities.
On May 23, 2022 at the end of the day, Judge Sidney H. Stein began his sentencing proceeding. Inner City Press was there. In the gallery, victims shook there heads No at claims made by Simpson Thacher - then, given the podium, said Pierre didn't care at all about those he stole from. Judge Stein sentenced him to seven years, the same as he gave art fraudster Inigo Philbrick earlier in the day.
A year before on May 17, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Sidney H. Stein began an in-person jury trial in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boone said Pierre defrauded his Haitian compatriots and devoted the money to expensive meals.
The witness worked for a hotel in Palisades, New York, embezzlement from which Pierre is charged.
On Marcy 18, with the trial paused for a day, Inner City Press ] reported on the record that the US Attorney's Office offered Pierre a plea agreement with a stipulated guidelines range of 51 to 63 months' imprisonment. It was rejected.
On May 20, AUSA Boone was questioning a victim of Pierre's, who seemed to say she was compensated from bringing in more victims. She was to withdraw $43.05 as a test, she said.
On May 24, Pierre's CJA lawyer Brooke Cucinella of Simpson Thacher cross examined at length about charts showing Pierre's finances, including his purchase of a Planet Wings franchise, and payments over Zell.
Judge Stein asked the witness, to friendly laughter from the jury, Do you have a Zell account? He told the lawyers, including AUSA Drew Skinner who did the re-cross, to "chill."
There is a mystery as to May 25 on which we hope to have more. The only thing filed in the docket was an additional notice of appearance for Ruless Pierre, by Jacob Lundqvist.
On the morning of May 26, AUSA Skinner gave the government's summation, including using slides to detail each charge, concluding with "the Planet Wings Scheme." He said Ms. Pamphile was charged hundreds of thousands of dollars for a store that cost only $50,000, and then was told to delete her text messages. The jury was escorted down to lunch together, presumably not Planet Wings but rather than often name-changing 8th floor cafe.
In the afternoon, Pierre's lawyer Brooke Cucinella emphasized that her client didn't suddenly pay off his debts, for example to Ally for the Porsche, and had sent bills to those who traveled with him each year to Miami for Haitian Flag Day, staying in the Fontainbleu (said Fountain-Blue) hotel. Hold the government to its burden, she said.
Watch this site.
The case is US v. Pierre, 19-cr-783 (Stein)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
