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NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - British billionaire Joe Lewis has surrendered to U.S. authorities in Manhattan and is expected to appear in court later on Wednesday to face insider trading charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan said. Two of Lewis' pilots, Patrick O'Connor and Bryan Waugh, were also charged with insider trading securities fraud. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man," Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement. Insider trading has long been a focus of Williams' office, dating to 2009 when a crackdown began under one of his predecessors, Preet Bharara. Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil insider trading case against Lewis, O'Connor, Waugh and Lewis' then-girlfriend Carolyn Carter.

Persons: Joe Lewis, Lewis, Patrick O'Connor, Bryan Waugh, David Zornow, O'Connor, Waugh, O'Connor texted, Mirati, Daniel Levy, Dylan Martinez, Damian Williams, Williams, Preet Bharara, Carolyn Carter, Carter, Gurbir Grewal, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Prentice, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, U.S, Tottenham Hotspur, Tottenham, Prosecutors, Mirati Therapeutics, Southampton Premier League, Reuters, Tavistock Group, Forbes, Attorney, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, Manhattan, United States, New York, Virginia

NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and owner of the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team, has been criminally charged in New York for orchestrating a "brazen" insider trading scheme. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a video on the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter. Insider trading has long been a focus of Williams' office, dating to 2009 when a crackdown began under one of his predecessors, Preet Bharara. Prosecutors said that in some insider trading cases, Lewis lent money to recipients of his tips, including in Oct. 2019 when he wired $1 million to two pilots so they could buy more Mirati shares. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast.

Persons: Joe Lewis, Lewis, Damian Williams, " Williams, Williams, Preet Bharara, Mirati, Boss, Marty, JPMorgan Chase, Jonathan Stempel, Luc Cohen, Chris Reese, Lincoln Organizations: YORK, Tottenham Hotspur, Prosecutors, U.S, Tavistock Group, Forbes, Therapeutics, Biosciences, Australian Agricultural, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: New York, Tavistock, Bear Stearns

Companies Mirati Therapeutics Inc FollowNEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - The British billionaire Joe Lewis pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to orchestrating what prosecutors called a "brazen" insider trading scheme by passing tips about companies in which he invested to friends, private pilots and a former girlfriend. Two of Lewis' pilots, Patrick O'Connor and Bryan Waugh, also pleaded not guilty to related insider trading charges, after being accused of making millions of dollars in illegal profit from Lewis' tips. British billionaire and Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis exits the United States Courthouse in Manhattan, following his appearance on insider trading charges, in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Insider trading has long been a focus of Williams' office, dating to 2009 when a crackdown began under one of his predecessors, Preet Bharara. Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil insider trading case against Lewis, O'Connor, Waugh and Lewis' former girlfriend Carolyn Carter.

Persons: Joe Lewis, Lewis, Valerie Figueredo, Nicolas Roos, Patrick O'Connor, Bryan Waugh, David Zornow, O'Connor, Waugh, O'Connor texted, Mirati, Amr Alfiky Mirati, Prosecutors, Damian Williams, Williams, Preet Bharara, Carolyn Carter, Carter, Gurbir Grewal, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Jody Godoy, Chris Prentice, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Mirati Therapeutics, Tottenham Hotspur, Aviva, Tavistock Group, Forbes, Tottenham, Prosecutors, United, REUTERS, U.S, Attorney, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: British, Manhattan, United States, New York City, U.S, New York, Virginia, South Korea

☆ Puerto Rican bank sues NY Fed for suspending account in Venezuela-linked crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bank asked the court to bar the New York Fed from terminating its master account, without which it said it "cannot effectively function as a depository institution." A spokesperson for the New York Fed declined to comment. Federal prosecutors dismissed a civil forfeiture complaint and returned $53 million in seized funds to the bank. The New York Fed in 2019 said it would stop approving master accounts for some Puerto Rican banks due to U.S. sanctions on Venezuela aimed at ousting socialist President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported at the time. The bank said its founder, Marcelino Bellosta, has lived in the United States and Europe for much of the last 25 years.

Persons: BSJI, Nicolas Maduro, Marcelino Bellosta, Luc Cohen, Grant McCool Organizations: Banco San Juan, Inc, New York Federal, Banco, Banco San Juan Internacional, New York, New York Fed, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Puerto Rican, U.S, Venezuela, Banco San, Manhattan, York, Puerto, Venezuelan, United States, Europe, New York

☆ Bannon co-defendant Shea sentenced to 5-1/4 years over 'We Build the Wall' fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Timothy Shea's sentence was the longest imposed over the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which federal prosecutors said raised more than $25 million from hundreds of thousands of donors. Two other defendants, who pleaded guilty, received shorter prison terms. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was also charged in the case, but Trump pardoned him in the final hours of his presidency. Two other defendants, the campaign's leader Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, pleaded guilty and were sentenced in April to 4-1/4 years and three years in prison, respectively. Bannon was criminally charged last September by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with state law violations arising from the wall campaign.

Persons: Donald Trump, Greg Abbott, Callaghan O'Hare, Donald, Timothy Shea's, Steve Bannon, Trump, Shea, Analisa Torres, Torres, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, Bannon, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Luc Cohen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Texas, REUTERS, Trump, District, U.S, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney, Thomson Locations: U.S, Mexico, Pharr , Texas, Manhattan, Rock , Colorado, New York

☆ US couple accused of laundering crypto from Bitfinex hack reach plea deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - An American couple accused of laundering $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hacking of virtual currency exchange Bitfinex have entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Washington, court records showed on Friday. They are set to appear for a plea hearing on Aug. 3 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, court records showed. A lawyer for Lichtenstein and Morgan and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The pair was accused of conspiring to launder more than 100,000 bitcoin that was stolen, after a hacker attacked Bitfinex and initiated more than 2,0000 unauthorized transactions. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, Colleen Kollar, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Bitfinex, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: YORK, U.S, Thomson Locations: American, Washington, Manhattan, New York

☆ Venezuela's ex-spymaster pleads not guilty to US drug trafficking charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hugo Carvajal, 63, arrived in the United states on Wednesday after being extradited from Spain. "General Carvajal looks forward to fighting these outrageous charges in court before an unbiased American jury," Margulis-Ohnuma told reporters after the hearing. The drugs were ultimately bound for the United States, according to prosecutors. Dozens of Venezuelan military leaders, politicians and businessmen have been charged by the United States with corruption and drug trafficking. He was arrested in Spain on the U.S. drug charges later that year, but went into hiding after a court initially approved his extradition.

Persons: Hugo Carvajal, Judge Stewart Aaron, Zachary Margulis, Ohnuma, Carvajal, General Carvajal, Hugo Chavez's, El, Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, Department of Justice, U.S, American, U.S . State Department, Washington, Thomson Locations: United, Spain, Manhattan, Mexico, Venezuela, United States, Washington, Caracas, Aruba, Netherlands, Maduro, New York

July 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied Donald Trump's bid to move from New York state court to federal court the criminal case against the former U.S. president stemming from a hush money payment to a porn star. Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, had argued the case belonged in federal court, claiming that the indictment related to his 2016 presidency and involved federal election law. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan bought none of his arguments. "The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was purely a personal item of the President -- a cover-up of an embarrassing event," Hellerstein wrote in a 25-page decision. In the hush-money case, Justice Juan Merchan of New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan has set a trial for March 2024.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, reimbursements, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Alvin Hellerstein, Hellerstein, E, Jean Carroll, Juan Merchan, District Judge Hellerstein, Daniels, Stephanie Clifford, Karen Freifeld, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, U.S, Trump, New York, Court, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, Manhattan, New, York

☆ Tesla to hand over Musk's emails to JPMorgan in lawsuit over 2018 tweet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 19 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) will get to review some of Elon Musk's emails as it pursues a lawsuit against Tesla (TSLA.O) over a bond contract dispute that arose after Musk tweeted he might take his electric car company private. JPMorgan plans to depose Musk in December, Tesla lawyer Nathan Goralnik said at the hearing. JPMorgan sued Tesla for $162.2 million in November 2021, saying Tesla breached a 2014 contract related to stock warrants it sold to the bank, and which JPMorgan believes became more valuable because of Musk's tweet. Tesla countersued JPMorgan in January, accusing the bank of seeking a "windfall" when it re-priced the warrants. A federal jury in San Francisco in February found Musk and Tesla not liable for misleading investors with the tweet.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Elon, Musk, Ona Wang, Tesla, tweeting, Nathan Goralnik, Goralnik, Luc Cohen, Chizu Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan, Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, U.S, San Francisco, New York

☆ Venezuela ex-spymaster arrives in US to face drug charges after extradition
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID/NEW YORK, July 19 (Reuters) - The former head of Venezuela's military intelligence, Hugo Carvajal, arrived in the United States on Wednesday to face drug trafficking charge after being extradited from Spain, his lawyer said. Carvajal is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Thursday morning, said his lawyer, Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma. Prosecutors say Carvajal in 2006 coordinated the shipment of 5,600 kg (1,235 pounds) of U.S.-bound cocaine to Mexico from Venezuela. Carvajal is also wanted in Venezuela on charges including treason and financing terrorism. "I hope the United States ... delivers to Venezuela a criminal like Hugo Carvajal," Jorge Rodriguez, the president of Venezuela's Maduro-aligned legislature, told reporters on Wednesday.

Persons: Hugo Carvajal, Carvajal, Zachary Margulis, El, Hugo Chavez's, Nicolas Maduro, Chavez, Maduro, Jorge Rodriguez, Venezuela's, Emma Pinedo, Luc Cohen, Deisy Buitrago, William Maclean, Mike Harrison, Daniel Wallis Organizations: MADRID, of Human, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: United States, Spain, Manhattan, Madrid, The U.S, Mexico, Venezuela, New York, Caracas

☆ Accused Russian intelligence officer pleads not guilty to US smuggling charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - An alleged Russian intelligence officer pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges of smuggling U.S.-origin electronics and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine. Vadim Konoschenok, who was extradited on Thursday from Estonia, entered the plea at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Konoschenok detained pending trial, after prosecutors called him a flight risk. Konoschenok was initially charged last September, as U.S. authorities sought to ramp up enforcement of export controls and sanctions designed to hamper Moscow's war effort. Reporting by Luc Cohen; editing by John Stonestreet and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vadim Konoschenok, Judge Ramon Reyes, Konoschenok, Sabrina Shroff, Luc Cohen, John Stonestreet, Sandra Maler Organizations: YORK, Ukraine, U.S, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Estonia, Brooklyn . U.S, Brooklyn, U.S, Washington

It also wants JPMorgan to pay damages to compensate Epstein's victims, pay punitive damages, separate its business and compliance functions, and hire a compliance consultant. The bank also called the U.S. Virgin Islands' arguments for damages "misdirected" and "not well founded." Friday's filing marks the first time the U.S. Virgin Islands has put a dollar figure on its lawsuit. In the U.S. Virgin Islands case, JPMorgan has sought to shift blame. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein's, Epstein, Ariel Smith, Prince Andrew, Ehud Barak, Ghislaine Maxwell, Cecile de Jongh, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Nupur Anand, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, U.S . Virgin, JPMorgan, Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin Islands, Deutsche Bank, U.S ., Barclays, Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, British, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

NEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - Alex Mashinsky, founder and former CEO of bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Celsius Network, pleaded not guilty Thursday to U.S. fraud charges that he misled customers and artificially inflated the value of his company's propriety crypto token. Three federal regulatory agencies also sued Mashinsky and Celsius in connection with the case. Mashinsky, 57, was charged with seven criminal counts - including securities fraud, commodities fraud and wire fraud - according to an indictment unsealed earlier on Thursday. Its founder Sam Bankman-Fried was charged with fraud last year, and has pleaded not guilty. "Whether it's old-school fraud or some new-school crypto scheme, it doesn't matter one bit.

Persons: Alex Mashinsky, Mashinsky, Sam Bankman, Fried, Ona Wang, Roni Cohen, Pavon, Cohen, Damian Williams, Williams, Hannah Lang, Luc Cohen, Chris Prentice, Elizabeth Howcroft, Chizu Nomiyama, Michelle Price, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Prosecutors, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading Commission, Federal Trade Commission, U.S, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Israeli, U.S, Hoboken , New Jersey, Washington, New York, Bengaluru, London

☆ European court denies effort by Venezuela ex-official to avoid US extradition
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CARACAS, July 13 (Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights has denied an effort by a former director of Venezuelan military intelligence, wanted on drug trafficking charges by the United States, to avoid extradition from Spain. Carvajal was arrested in September 2021 at a Madrid apartment by Spanish police and is being held in Estremera, outside of the capital. He has denied supporting cocaine trafficking to the United States. "In any event, General Carvajal is looking forward to clearing his name in an American court," Margulis-Ohnuma added. Reporting by Luc Cohen and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Conor Humphries and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hugo Carvajal, Hugo Chavez's, Nicolas Maduro, Carvajal, Mr Carvajal Barrios, Zachary Margulis, General Carvajal, Luc Cohen, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Conor Humphries, Sandra Maler Organizations: European, of Human Rights, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Spain, Madrid, Estremera, Aruba

☆ US charges second Frank college aid executive with defrauding JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, July 12 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled an indictment charging Olivier Amar, who helped run college financial aid startup Frank, with defrauding JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) into buying their company for $175 million. Amar, who was Frank's chief growth officer, was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy, becoming the second company official indicted in the case. Lawyers for Amar, whose whereabouts were not immediately known, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bank shut down Frank in January, and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon branded the acquisition a "huge mistake."

Persons: Olivier Amar, Amar, Frank, Charlie Javice, Javice, Jamie Dimon, counterclaims, Luc Cohen, Bill Berkrot Organizations: JPMorgan Chase, U.S, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, U.S, Amar, Delaware, New York

☆ U.S. prosecutors probe ex-FTX executive Salame for campaign finance violations, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Shearman Real Estate Finance Partner Is Latest Exit As Merger Looms | Sara Merken | July | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 11 (Reuters) - Former FTX cryptocurrency exchange executive Ryan Salame is under investigation by federal prosecutors for possible violations of campaign finance law, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors are looking at money Salame gave his girlfriend, Michelle Bond, who ran unsuccessfully last year for the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in New York, as well as loans Bond made to her campaign, the Journal reported. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment. Neither Salame nor Bond has been accused of wrongdoing. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Salame, Michelle Bond, Bond, Sam Bankman, Luc Cohen, Chizu Organizations: YORK, Wall Street, Prosecutors, Republican, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Manhattan

NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - The leader of a U.S. think tank has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent of China, as well as seeking to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday. Luft is accused of pushing the adviser to support policies favorable to China, including by drafting comments in the adviser's name published in a Chinese newspaper. Luft is co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, which describes itself as a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on energy, security and economic trends. The think tank did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Stephen Coates and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gal Luft, Donald Trump, Luft, I've, Prosecutors, Luc Cohen, Stephen Coates, Bill Berkrot Organizations: YORK, Prosecutors, U.S, Reuters, Institute, Global Security, D.C, United Arab, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Manhattan, United States, Israel, Cyprus, Washington, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, New York

☆ Bankman-Fried loses bid to toss criminal charges over FTX's collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday denied Sam Bankman-Fried's bid to have criminal charges against him thrown out, paving the way for the founder of now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX to face trial starting Oct. 2. In May, Bankman-Fried asked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan to dismiss at least 11 of the 13 fraud and conspiracy charges he faced. "The arguments are either moot or without merit," Kaplan wrote in a ruling on Thursday. A spokesman for Bankman-Fried did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Federal, Alameda Research, U.S, District, Supreme, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, FTX, Bahamas, United States, New York

The lawsuit seeks at least $250 million in damages from Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr and Eric, the Trump Organization and others, and to stop the Trumps from running businesses in New York. He has also called James' case and two unrelated criminal indictments, where he has pleaded not guilty, part of a Democratic "witch hunt." It also said all claims against Ivanka Trump should be dismissed because they were filed too late, and because she was no longer with the Trump Organization at the relevant time. OCTOBER TRIALThe court returned the case to Justice Arthur Engoron of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan to determine which parts could proceed. The New York civil case is New York v Trump et al, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, 1st Department, No.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Ivanka Trump, Letitia James, Trump, Donald Jr, Eric, Donald Trump, James, Arthur Engoron, Christopher Kise, Ivanka, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jonathan Stempel, Luc Cohen, Conor Humphries, Jonathan Oatis, Alistair Bell Organizations: YORK, Trump, Trump Organization, Republican, Democratic, Division, Manhattan, Attorney, U.S, Department of, The New, New York, Appellate, 1st Department, Thomson Locations: York, Lago, Florida, Manhattan, New York, The New York, New

"This is a really fine settlement," Rakoff said. Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 through 2013, when the bank terminated his accounts. JPMorgan in a statement this month said any association it had with Epstein "was a mistake and we regret it." Rakoff appointed Simone Lelchuk, a lawyer who specializes in administering settlements, to consider individual claims and determine payouts in the JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank cases. JPMorgan is also facing a lawsuit over Epstein by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the financier owned two neighboring islands.

Persons: Morgan Chase, Mike Segar, Jeffrey Epstein, Jed Rakoff, Rakoff, Epstein, Jane Doe, David Boies, Boies, Simone Lelchuk, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Co, New York City, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase's, U.S, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, U.S ., Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Florida, Russia, Eastern Europe, U.S . Virgin Islands

Law Firms Fenwick & West LLP FollowNEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday denied Sam Bankman-Fried's push to get a law firm that advised his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange to hand over documents he says can help him beat fraud charges. The onetime billionaire, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing from FTX customers and lying to investors and lenders, last month said the documents could prove he relied on legal advice from Silicon Valley law firm Fenwick & West and did not believe he was breaking the law. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing Bankman-Fried's case, in a written order on Friday called the request for a subpoena a "fishing expedition." A spokesman for Bankman-Fried, 31, declined to comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fenwick, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Mark Porter Organizations: Fenwick, West, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, Silicon Valley, New York

The indictments mark the first time the U.S. has sought to prosecute any of the Chinese companies responsible for manufacturing precursor chemicals used to make the painkiller. The companies at the heart of the three separate indictments are accused of selling precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, which in turn has flooded the U.S. with the drug. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced the unsealing of an indictment against the China-based chemical company Hubei Amarvel Biotech, along with its executives Qingzhou Wang, 35, Yiyi Chen, 31, and Fnu Lnu, also known as Er Yang, with fentanyl trafficking, precursor chemical importation, and money laundering offenses. "Fentanyl poses a singular threat, not only because the smallest doses can be lethal, but because fentanyl does not occur in nature. In the Eastern District of New York, prosecutors announced the unsealing of two more indictments against three other Chinese companies and individuals accused of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl in the U.S.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Qingzhou Wang, Yiyi Chen, Fnu Lnu, Er Yang, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Lisa Monaco, Blinken, Wang, Chen, Yang, Sarah N, Lynch, Luc Cohen, David Brunnstrom, Chizu Nomiyama, Angus MacSwan Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, U.S, Hubei Amarvel Biotech, Justice Department, Embassy, Global Coalition, Administration, of, U.S . Prosecutors, Hebei Sinaloa Trading, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Washington, Sinaloa, Mexico, Manhattan, Hubei, cryptocurrency, Los Angeles, Honolulu , Hawaii, New York, of New York, Hebei Sinaloa, U.S

☆ Trump's push for new sex abuse trial is 'magical thinking,' Carroll says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, June 22 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's push for a new trial in the civil case in which a Manhattan jury last month found the former U.S. president sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll is "magical thinking," Carroll's lawyers said on Thursday. In court papers filed Thursday in opposition to Trump's request, Carroll's lawyers maintained that the attack has harmed her ability to have romantic and sexual relationships, and she has suffered intrusive memories. They pointed to a psychologist's testimony at trial that Carroll had some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "Trump's motion is nothing more than his latest effort to obfuscate the import of the jury's verdict by engaging in his own particular Trump-branded form of magical thinking," her lawyers wrote. Carroll, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, filed a separate lawsuit in November 2019 for defamation only.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Trump's, Trump, Goodman, Luc Cohen, Angus MacSwan Organizations: YORK, Trump, Republican, Elle, CNN, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, Lago, Florida

☆ Founder of US 'orgasmic meditation' group to challenge forced labor charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Nicole Daedone, founder and former CEO of OneTaste Inc., arrives for a hearing at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, June 21 (Reuters) - The founder of OneTaste, a sexual wellness company that claims to teach "orgasmic meditation," plans to challenge a federal criminal charge that she surveilled group members and withheld promised wages, her lawyer said on Wednesday. Daedone, who also served as OneTaste's chief executive until 2017, and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz have each pleaded not guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy. Jenny Kramer, a lawyer for Cherwitz, told Gujarati her client denied the charges. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nicole Daedone, Brendan McDermid, Reid Weingarten, Diane, Weingarten, Rachel Cherwitz, Jenny Kramer, Cherwitz, OneTaste, Luc Cohen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: OneTaste Inc, Brooklyn Federal, REUTERS, U.S, District, Netflix, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn , New York, U.S, California, New York

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