| Eyewear Fraudster Borker Was
Detained in SDNY Magistrates Court Now
Retained Counsel
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 18– Michael Voller
did business with, then
cooperated against, eyeglasses
fraudster Vitaly Borker of
OpticsFast.
On November 23,
2020 Voller was up for
sentencing before U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Paul G. Gardephe. Inner
City Press live tweeted it, here
and below.
Jump cut to
February 18, 2022 - Vitaly
Borker himself was back in
SDNY Magistrates Court,
arrested for again
fraudulently selling glassed.
He was detained. Inner City
Press live tweeted it, thread
here:
OK- repeat
eyewear fraudster Vitaly
Borker has been arrested and
is in SDNY Magistrates Court,
US wants him detained
Borker offers
$2.2 million house to secured
bond. But it seems he has
taxpayer funded lawyer. #CJA23
like Avenatti, Correia, Dirty
Doc Ricardo before Judge
Cronan.
Judge Aaron has
taken a break with pre-trial
services
Borker is in camo
pants; his CJA lawyer says he
takes care of 87 year-old
mother and a young son.
Judge Aaron: Mr
Borker, you will be detained.
On
February 18, Borker was given
a free (or taxpayer funded)
lawyer. On March 10 a new,
retained counsel from Glen
Cove Road in Greenvale, New
York filed a notice of
appearance.
On Feb 18,
the prosecution had put out a
press release: "U.S. Attorney
Damian Williams said: “Upon
Vitaly Borker’s second
conviction by this Office for
fraud-related offenses, my
predecessor posed the
rhetorical question of whether
‘federal prison will impress
upon this shady businessman
that seeking to make money by
fraud and intimidation is a
path to prison...’ Apparently,
it has not. As alleged, just
after his release from federal
prison, serial fraudster
Vitaly Borker reverted back to
his illegal conduct connected
to online eyewear
businesses." Bragging
about "RECIDIVIST DEFENDANT
CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH
FRAUDULENT EYEWEAR WEBSITE FOR
THE THIRD TIME" seems strange.
From November 23,
2020: Borker -- and Voller --
induced people to send their
glasses to Opticsfast for
repairs, then demanded
exorbitant fees for repairs or
return.
AUSA Mortazavi:
There is some sensitivity with
what I'm about to say - Voller
and his family members are
been threatened. [Only
today, in the docket, an
Unsealing Order that guilty
plea transcript be unsealed.
But it is not yet in the
docket]
Judge Gardephe:
Voller knew Borker since high
school. Borker started
OpticsFast after pleading
guilty to fraud with another
company, and transferred it to
Voller while he was in prison.
Borker took it back over in
2015, despite a prohibition.
Voller helped him...
Judge Gardephe:
Borker received 60% of
profits, and Voller 40%. They
used aliases. At least 200
complaints were filed with the
BBB. Voller was born in
Odessa, Ukraine and emigrated
to the US at age 2 with his
family.
Judge
Gardephe: Around Thanksgiving
2018, a text seemingly from
Borker to Voller's sister
promised to do everything
possible to put Voller in
jail, "many tears, count on
it." [Borker got a 2
level upward adjustment for
obstruction of justice]
Judge
Gardephe: Voller imposes
little risk of recidivism. I
intend to imposes a sentence
of two years probation.
It could be
terminated early. The case is
US v. Voller, 17-cr-391
(Gardephe)
***
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