The
South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that former SunCruz co-owner Adam Kidan is expected to plead guilty next week on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
If the deal goes through, Kidan, who was looking at up to 30 years in prison, could now face a maximum of 10 years.
That sentence could be reduced depending upon the extent of his cooperation as a witness, not only against his co-defendant -- embattled super lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- but also in the prosecution of three men charged in the Feb. 6, 2001, slaying of Boulis, the sources said.
Lawyers for Kidan and prosecutors are finalizing the deal in which Kidan would plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy and wire fraud, sources said. A "change of plea" hearing has been set for Dec. 15 in Miami before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Huck, according to the judge's clerk.
What this means, in short, is that Abramoff is now truly fucked from all sides. Michael Scanlon, Ben Fitial and Adam Kidan--all set to cooperate with federal prosecutors and testify against Abramoff's illegal conduct.
If the deal does go through, Abramoff himself may flip in short time:
Under the plea deal, Kidan would testify against Abramoff, his longtime friend and mentor. Abramoff is also at the center of several Justice Department investigations alleging improper donations and gifts being accepted by members of Congress.
This past August, Abramoff was indicted along with Kidan on six charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud. After agreeing to buy SunCruz from Boulis in September of 2000, Kidan and Abramoff faked a wire transfer of $23 million to Boulis as a first payment. This enabled them to receive a $60 million loan from Foothill & Citadel to pay Boulis. No funds were known to have to been given to Boulis at any point. Boulis and Kidan grew increasingly adversarial. Months later, Boulis was killed 'gangland style' while in his BMW.
The Abramoff/Kidan SunCruz trial is set to begin on January 9th. With Abramoff reportedly running out of money and two key witnesses prepared to testify against him in federal cases, his chances of attempting a deal with prosecutors have skyrocketed.
Two recent articles, citing testimony from one of the accused murderers and a witness, suggest that Kidan ordered Boulis' murder.
From the Orlando Sentinel:
"[Ferrari] didn't say [Kidan] wanted [Boulis] killed," Nicholson told detectives during a second interview in May 2001. "He said he wanted him taken out...and he didn't mean dinner."
Ferrari asked Nicholson if he would do it, and Nicholson said he declined. A few days later, Nicholson and Ferrari picked up Moscatiello, who then talked about the need to kill Boulis, Nicholson told police. The ride in the Mercedes ended, he said, with Ferrari promising: "This is my turf. I'll take care of it."
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Moscatiello, 67, said Fiorillo also told him that Ferrari ordered the hit after getting a call from New York businessman Adam Kidan, according to court filings. Kidan had been fighting with Boulis for control of SunCruz Casino, a cruise ship gambling operation based out of Dania Beach.
Such allegations could backfire on Kidan's plea agreement, if true. Thus far, Kidan and Abramoff have skirted charges for any involvement in Boulis' murder.
Update [2005-12-8 6:16:21 by jorndorff]: TPM has more on Kidan's deal and why he's yet to be charged for his involvement in Boulis' murder. Josh also has more on the CNMI side of Abramoff's lobbying history. DKos Abramoff guru dengre has a diary on CNMI Governor-Elect Ben Fitial's cooperation with federal investigators as well.