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NEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A longtime enforcement for Donald Trump is expected to beryllium sent to New York's notorious Rikers Island jailhouse aft being sentenced connected Tuesday for helping technologist a 15-year taxation fraud strategy astatine the erstwhile president's existent property company.
Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's erstwhile main fiscal officer, pleaded blameworthy successful August, admitting that from 2005 to 2017 helium and different executives received bonuses and perks that saved the institution and themselves money.
Weisselberg is expected to beryllium sentenced to 5 months down bars, aft paying astir $2 cardinal successful taxes, penalties and involvement and testifying astatine the transgression proceedings of the Trump Organization, which was convicted connected each counts it faced.
The condemnation volition beryllium imposed by Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the proceedings successful a New York authorities tribunal successful Manhattan. Weisselberg would apt service 100 days with clip disconnected for bully behavior.
Those days volition astir apt not beryllium casual for Weisselberg, 75, astatine a jailhouse known for violence, drugs and corruption. Nineteen inmates determination died past year.
"You're going into a byzantine achromatic hole," said Craig Rothfeld, a situation advisor helping Weisselberg hole for lockup.
50-YEAR RELATIONSHIP
Many convicts successful New York City facing 1 twelvemonth oregon little down bars caput to Rikers Island, which lies betwixt the New York City boroughs of Queens and the Bronx and houses much than 5,900 inmates.
Rothfeld spent much than 5 weeks astatine Rikers successful 2015 and 2016 arsenic portion of an 18-month condemnation for defrauding investors and taxation authorities erstwhile helium was main enforcement of the now-defunct WJB Capital Group Inc.
He present runs Inside Outside Ltd, which advises radical facing incarceration. Another lawsuit is Harvey Weinstein, the erstwhile Hollywood movie shaper convicted doubly of rape.
After being sentenced, Weisselberg volition apt beryllium driven to Rikers and commercialized his thoroughfare apparel for a azygous and sneakers with velcro straps.
Rothfeld said helium hopes Weisselberg volition beryllium segregated from the wide population, and not placed successful a dorm with inmates who whitethorn not cognize him but volition cognize his boss, who is seeking the presidency successful 2024.
"Certainly Mr. Weisselberg's 50-year narration with the erstwhile president is connected each our minds," Rothfeld said.
A spokesperson for the city's Department of Correction said the agency's ngo is "to make a harmless and supportive situation for everyone who enters our custody."
Rikers is scheduled to adjacent successful 2027.
STAR WITNESS
Weisselberg was the prima authorities witnesser against his employer.
He told jurors that Trump signed bonus and tuition checks, and different documents astatine the bosom of prosecutors' case, but was not successful connected the taxation fraud scheme.
Though nary longer CFO, Weisselberg remains connected paid permission from the Trump Organization. He testified successful November that helium hoped to get a $500,000 bonus this month.
Weisselberg testified that the institution is paying his lawyers. It is paying Rothfeld arsenic well, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance said. Rothfeld declined to comment.
Trump was not charged and has denied wrongdoing. The Manhattan District Attorney's bureau is inactive investigating his concern practices.
Merchan volition besides condemnation the Trump Organization connected Friday. Penalties are constricted to $1.6 million.
Weisselberg remains a suspect successful New York Attorney General Letitia James' $250 cardinal civilian suit alleging that Trump and his institution inflated plus values and Trump's nett worth.
Rothfeld said helium advised Weisselberg not to spell extracurricular astatine Rikers due to the fact that of the hazard of unit successful courtyards, and not to interject himself into conversations betwixt different inmates.
"The extremity is to support to yourself," Rothfeld said.
Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Richard Chang
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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