Has one intriguing Rothstein associate sailed away?

Berger Singerman, the bankruptcy attorneys for the defunct Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm issued a notice today seeking to examine Albert Peter, former CEO of Silversea Cruises who did business with Scott Rothstein. They want to meet with him Jan. 4.

The notice in federal court instructs Peter to produce all documents related to his involvement or that of Silversea Cruises with Rothstein or Rothstein's law firm. It also asks for any correspondence with Steve Lippman, another attorney at the firm, and an explanation of four checks totalling about $90,000 from a bank account in the name of Lippman, Valinsky and Storfer in 2006 and 2007 that were written to Peter.

Peter was a former executive at Silversea Cruises but left that company a couple years ago. A woman answering the phone at that company today said Peter now lives in Switzerland and the company's attorney is overseas. Lippman did not return phone calls.

Here's the skinny on Peter, according to a person familiar with the Silversea matter:

Peter was an executive at Silversea Cruises while Rothstein was the company's attorney. Peter was unhappy with his financial package so he and Rothstein devised a plan to blackmail Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, the Italian aristocrat who ran the company.

Peter and Rothstein went to Monaco for a showdown, but things didn't go as planned: Peter was fired.

They return to Fort Lauderdale and Peter moves into an office on the 22nd floor at the Rothstein law firm. Attorneys at the law firm help Peter form Jewel River Cruise Line in August 2007.

An article in Cruise Industry News in November 2007 announced that Peter would unveil his new cruise line in 2008 that would "revolutionize the world of river cruising." The company was described as providing "boutique luxury river cruising" in Europe with a planned to debut on the Seine.

 About a year ago, Peter disappeared and the Jewel River offices were cleaned out, said the source.

  

Feds investigate Fort Lauderdale Police-Rothstein connections

Channel 4 news reported last night that Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley was interviewed by federal officials about Scott Rothstein Monday. Adderley told the feds that he paid for his own tickets to Dolphins games with Rothstein, including to away games, and his own meals at Bova Prime but refused to provide the documentation.

Police spokesman, Sgt. Frank Sousa, refused to answer specific questions from the Miami Herald but said "we are cooperating with the FBI."

Mayor Jack Seiler said that city officials had told him about the federal inquiry.

"I have been told that there is a federal investigation going on, not necessarily of him,'' Seiler said. "I have been told there is a federal investigation going on in which he was interviewed."

But Seiler said he didn't have details about what federal officials interviewed Adderley about.

Fort Lauderdale police officers were hired by Rothstein for 24-7 off-duty details at his home, and other shifts at the law firm and restaurant earlier this year. Seiler said he wants to re-examine the off-duty detail policy to require anyone who wants such extensive details to go higher up the chain of command for approval so that "in no way details look like a personal bodyguard."

The city's Office of Professional Standards launched a review regarding Adderley's role in appearing at a traffic accident scene where Rothstein was present as initially reported on jaablog, a courthouse gossip website.

Seiler said he has confidence in the police chief but called for the city investigation.

"He is a good law enforcement officer," Seiler said. "But you can be the greatest law enforcement officer in the world and you still have to be careful about an appearance of impropriety. I want to make sure there are no doubts in the mind of the general public when this is done."

Is Sheriff Lamberti's union support eroding?

It was a straight-up deal cut last year between Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti and the Police Benevolent Association: Lamberti would offer a favorable contract which included raises up to 12 percent and the union would endorse the Republican.

But now, that relationship appears to be crumbling. The union and BSO are back at the table this afternoon, according to a PBA source.

Lamberti asked the PBA to delay a portion of the pay raise -- a 2 percent hike.

"Originally we told him we could support that,'' said PBA president Patrick Hanrahan.

But then other issues -- including about shift schedules, tuition reimbursement and holiday pay -- surfaced. When it was time for the union to vote on delaying part of their pay increase, members voted it down in October.

The PBA told Lamberti that the pay raise "is in the contract. You have to give it to us,'' Hanrahan said. Lamberti's response, according to Hanrahan: "He said he did not budget for it."

BSO sent the union a letter in November declaring financial urgency. We are trying to get a copy of that letter and BSO's side.

Rothstein's tangled business assets make recovery tough

Jailed lawyer Scott Rothstein collected companies like he collected exotic cars, fancy watches and powerful politicians.

By the time his alleged $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme collapsed last month, court documents show he had a stake in more than 100 corporations and businesses. Most were low-profile investment vehicles, with names like 2133 IP and CI27, designed for expediency and to obscure assets. Others were shares in trendy restaurants, flashy vodka companies and beachside hotels that echoed his lavish lifestyle.

Now, as investigators pick through the wreckage of Rothstein's empire on behalf of the investors he allegedly duped, many of his business partners are also facing scrutiny. See story here. 

Developers in Eggelletion case charged

Two Broward developers were charged Friday with bribing then County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion and lying about it to prosecutor.

Bruce and Shawn Chait of Prestige Homes were booked at the Broward County jail Friday, according to the Broward State Attorney's Office. Both were charged with one count of bribery, one count of unlawful compensation and one count of perjury.

Eggelletion was arrested in September as part of a federal corruption probe and pleaded guilty in court Thursday to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eggelletion resigned his position and faces sentencing Feb. 17.

Last month, the state attorney charged him with unlawful compensation for receiving a $3,200 golf membership at Parkland Golf and Country Club from Shawn Chait. The deal: Eggelletion would give three years of favorable treatment for Prestige Homes on business before the county.

The Chaits and Eggelletion came up with a story for investigators regarding why Shawn Chait delivered $3,200 in cash to the country club. The story: the money belonged to Eggelletion and Chait was dropping it off as a favor. Eggelletion admitted to receiving a separate $25,000 from the Chaits at the club in December 2006.

        

Will Fort Lauderdale Police Chief turn over his cell phone records?

There is an interesting post today on the courthouse gossip JAAblog that alleges that Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley was at a car crash scene along with Scott Rothstein. Moe Sohail,  Rothstein's cigar shop owner buddy, was involved in the crash.

The question is why Adderley -- if that's him in the photo at the scene -- reported to the car crash and who summoned him there.

Mayor Jack Seiler said that he asked city manager George Gretsas to look into it and examine police records and the chief's cell phone records. But city attorney Harry Stewart said that since Adderley receives a cell phone allowance -- not a city-issued cell phone or a reimbursement -- his cell phone records are private.

So from a "technical legal standpoint" Adderley doesn't have to turn over his cell phone records, Stewart said.

However, "if the manager asks for his information and it's not forthcoming that may play into his evaluation."

Seiler has said he has asked Adderley in the past about his relationship with Rothstein and he said that while he ate at Bova Thursdays, he paid his own way and that he wasn't that close with the lawyer.

Seiler said if there was any wrongdoing, the city won't cover it up.

"We will get to the bottom of it and find out if it was appropriate for him to be there or not," Seiler said. "Our police department and our police chief have conducted themselves in a very professional manner."

Police Sgt. Frank Sousa said he doesn't know if the chief will turn over his phone records to Gretsas.

Crist: Not questioned in Mendelsohn probe

If you are an elected official in Tallahassee, you are getting this question: Have you talked to the feds?

It's part of the effort to determine the scope of a Justice Department probe into Alan Mendelsohn, a Broward fund-raiser accused of transferring $87,000 to an unidentified former state lawmaker. The Herald/Times broke the news Wednesday about a number of lawmakers getting questions about the former power broker, including Senate President Jeff Atwater.

But at this point the inquiry doesn't reach as high as the governor's office. After the clemency board hearing Thursday, Gov. Charlie Crist said he has not spoken to federal agents.

Hollywood police close to wrapping up 'Walt Disney' probe

Hollywood Police expect to soon wrap up an investigation involving five employees of the police department accused of distorting the facts behind a Feb. 17 car crash.

One officer at the scene came up with a story about a cat jumping out of the car and said "We'll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn't have mattered because (the driver) was drunk anyway."

Chief Chad Wagner asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the city's findings. FDLE is "very close" to finishing it's review and turning it back over to the city, city spokesman Raelin Storey said. Ultimately the city will turn over its findings to the state attorney's office.

The city has until Jan. 26 to complete its review.

The five police employees remain on paid leave.

Is Sheriff Lamberti's inner circle falling apart?

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti has called for two internal affairs investigations into members of his inner circle in the past month.

First, he ordered an internal affairs investigation into his executive officer, Lt. David Benjamin. It was Benjamin who escorted Scott Rothstein to an airplane when he fled to Morocco in late October, but the investigation focuses on whether Benjamin followed the agency's rules when he opened a side business earlier this year -- with the help of an attorney at Rothstein's firm. Benjamin has been pushed into a less visible job at BSO and Lamberti has announced that he is re-working the rules on outside employment.

On Friday, BSO launched a separate internal affairs investigation into anyone connected to an April 2008 drug bust. The crack case itself was minor, the interesting part was that the license plate on the car found in the bust traces back to Michael Santucci's father in law. Michael Santucci is the son of Art Santucci, executive director of external affairs for Lamberti. Neither Santucci could be reached.

A couple of curious parts in that police report: no contact information was listed for a witness who was found in the car and the report states that the vehicle was released to the owner, but doesn't state who the owner was.

Art Santucci is among those who are under investigation but his job status remains the same, said BSO spokesman Jim Leljedal who declined to list all the BSO employees who are a part of that investigation.

"It would include people that were there, people listed in the police report and anyone else who was allegedly involved,'' Leljedal said.

 Lamberti, who declined to comment through Leljedal Monday, has known about the Santucci connection to the drug bust for at least several months, but he didn't launch the investigation until The Daily Pulp, a New Times blog, wrote about it.

Lamberti is also losing a trusted advisor. Col. Edward Werder, who oversees law enforcement, is retiring next month to "take care of some personal matters and to take care of his family" but that's unrelated to Rothstein and he is not the subject of any investigation, Leljedal said. Werder has worked for the agency off and on since the 1960s and Lamberti brought him on in his current role when he was appointed in 2007.

Eggelletion -- who will face a federal judge -- atones

Here's a statement from Josephus Eggelletion:

"I am severely disappointed with my recent actions that have led to the federal case against me,'' he wrote in a statement issued by his attorneys tonight. "I sincerely apologize the the community, to my many supporters, to the public at large for failing to uphold the honor and integrity of the office to which I was elected, and to my family for falling so far from the man they know me to be. I dishonored myself and my office, and I have begun the process of trying to atone for my actions. I fully and completely accept responsibility for my conduct. I have learned much as a result of my misconduct, and I hope to be able to return my life toward a forthright and honorable direction. I as the community and all public servants to learn from my misconduct, and to hew to the right and honorable path."