| UN Briber Heidi Hong Piao
Waives Conflict of Interest of Lawyer As SDNY
Soft on Guterres
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Feb 23 – Francis Lorenzo used
his position as UN Ambassador
for the Dominican Republic to
take and pay bribes for a
Macau "UN South South
Development Conference Center
proposed by now incarcerated
Ng Lap Seng.
Lorenzo was given a sentence
of time served, which was
twenty days in detention, by
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
It was what the US Attorney's
Office essentially
recommended, calling Lorenzo a
model cooperating witness.
This despite acknowledging
that Lorenzo had to "re-plead"
guilty when it emerged he had
not disclosed his receipt of
bribes. Assistant
US Attorney Douglas S. Zolkind
at sentencing praised Lorenzo
for example for always
appearing in a three-piece
suit.
It then
emerged that this same
prosecution team asked for yet
another six months delay in
sentencing another briber in
the case, Heidi Hong Piao.
Now, they held a Curcio
hearing on February 23. Inner
City Press live tweeted it here:
Judge Broderick
says, "Ms Piao, I understand
English is not your first
language. Do you want a
Chinese language interpreter?"
This "Curcio"
hearing is triggered by the
fact that Piao's defense
lawyer Jamie Gottlieb Furia is
trying to do work as a
prosecutor. This is not the
only case of this conflict.
Piao is preparing to waive the
conflict of interest.
Judge Broderick:
Explain to me in your own
words your understanding of
the possible conflict here.
Piao: She is
seeking employment with the US
Attorney's Office. At this
stage, she has only applied.
She has represented me for 5
years. Judge: Fantastic.
Judge Broderick:
You could consult with another
lawyer, other than Michael B.
Himmel. I could appoint a CJA
lawyer. Do you understand?
Piao: Yes I do
your Honor.
Next step in the
case: sentencing.
The US has asked:
the Government respectfully
requests, without objection
from the defendant, that the
Court hold a hearing pursuant
to United States v. Curcio,
680 F.2d 881 (2d Cir. 1982),
which the Government believes
need not be held prior to
sentencing, unless the Court
wishes to do so."
After?? Untransparent, like
the office's refusal to
release their exhibits or even
timely docket and unseal
documents in the crypto
currency fraud case of
OneCoin even as yet another
fraudulent coin is sold with
UN images.
Now this,
a year later, for more delay
while other defendants are
process and their temporary
release, even to funerals of
family members, are opposed by
the Office: "Re: United States
v. Heidi Hong Piao, 15-cr-706
(VSB) Dear Judge Broderick:
This law firm represents Heidi
Hong Piao in the
above-referenced matter. With
the consent of the government
(via Assistant U.S. Attorney
Daniel Richenthal), we write
to request a three-month
adjournment of Ms. Piao’s
sentencing date, which is
currently scheduled for
December 4, 2020 (Dkt. Entry
No. 966). We make this request
due to medical issues that Ms.
Piao is currently facing. I
have explained the details of
the medical issues to Mr.
Richenthal, and he has
consented to our request.
Should the Court require
additional information, I
would be happy to submit a
letter under seal or to speak
by phone. Respectfully yours,
/s/ Jamie Gottlieb Furia Jamie
Gottlieb Furia cc: Daniel
Richenthal, Assistant U.S.
Attorney."
Judge Broderick before giving
Francis Lorenzo the time
served sentence said there was
a need for general deterrence.
But neither he nor Zolkind
even mentioned an after
arising UN bribery case, for
which Patrick Ho of CEFC China
Energy was convicted by SDNY
Judge Loretta A.
Preska.
Judge Broderick
did impose two years of
supervised release, and 250
hours of community service.
Afterward Inner City Press
sought to ask Lorenzo a
question but was told by his
lawyerBrian H. Bieber that
Lorenzo would not answer
questions.
So Inner City Press asked
Bieber how Lorenzo would do
his community service and when
Lorenzo last saw and
communicated with Carlos
Garcia, the former El Salvador
ambassador shown in the trial
before Judge Broderick to have
helped launder money for
Lorenzo.
Bieber
said he would ask Lorenzo, and
perhaps get back to Inner City
Press, which has reported and
will continue to report on
these cases. This case is US
v. Lorenzo, 15-cr-706
(Broderick).
***
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