Friday, July 2, 2021

Defendant in campaign fraud case involving associates of Rudy Giuliani scheduled to plead guilty

Defendant in campaign fraud case involving associates of Rudy Giuliani scheduled to plead guilty

New York One of the four defendants in the federal case against associates of Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

David Correia, who pleaded not guilty when the four were originally indicted in October 2019, is set to enter a change of plea at a video hearing Thursday, according to court filings.
According to a person familiar with the investigation, Correia is not cooperating with authorities as part of his plea.
A lawyer for Correia didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
    In September, New York federal prosecutors filed an additional set of charges against Correia and co-defendant Lev Parnas, alleging they sought to defraud potential investors to their company Fraud Guarantee.
    Prosecutors allege Parnas and Correia raised more than $ 2 million from at least seven investors, and while some of the money was spent on business expenses, the majority was used for personal purposes.
      Days after prosecutors filed the additional charges, Correia’s lawyer and the judge overseeing the case indicated in court filings that Correia had failed to pay his legal bills.
      A trial in the case is set to begin March 1, 2021.

      >>>>