Rothstein Associate to Plead Guilty

According to the Miami Herald, another guilty plea is expected today in the $1.4 billion ponzi scheme masterminded by Scott Rothstein in south Florida.  This comes following the Government's efforts to block Rothstein's deposition, saying this would jeopardize the ongoing criminal investigation in which further criminal charges are expected.

William Corte, 38, of Plantation, Florida, was expected to enter a guilty plea today to charges of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  Corte was charged on May 27, 2011 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  In that filing, prosecutors alleged that Corte, along with Curtis Renie, created a fake website designed to duplicate TD Bank and providing ivnestorswith false account information.  Corte and Renie were both employees of Rothstein Rosenfeldt and Adler, the now-defunct Fort Lauderdale, Florida law firm of Rothstein.  

Corte is the first of the four charged on May 27 to plead guilty.  All are expected to enter guilty pleas and continue cooperating with authorities.  In opposing Rothstein's deposition, prosecutors had promised a fresh wave of indictments within the next several months as they moved to indict more of Rothstein's accomplices.