Each Mark Scott and DOJ have filed their respective motions in limine, in preparation for Scott’s November 4th trial date.
Perusal of the motions suggests Scott’s protection will rely closely on suppression and straw clutching.
Mark Scott’s protection motions in limine was filed on October 18th.
In abstract, Scott (proper, along with his spouse) put forth the DOJ
- shouldn’t be allowed to check with OneCoin buyers as victims;
- shouldn’t be permitted to introduce proof pertaining to OneCoin investor losses;
- shouldn’t be in a position to name witnesses that didn’t personally put money into OneCoin;
- shouldn’t be in a position to introduce proof pertaining to how Scott spent the cash he acquired in alternate for laundering OneCoin investor funds;
- shouldn’t be in a position to name a cash laundering skilled witness.
The final one particularly is hilarious, contemplating Scott has been charged with cash laundering.
As to the remainder of Scott’s calls for, its clear his lawyer hopes to reduce Scott’s position in OneCoin. Not withstanding him being a central determine within the laundering of ~$400 million in stolen investor funds.
Take, for instance, this amusing snippet;
even when OneCoin was a rip-off and a selected investor was in truth a “sufferer,” the investor shouldn’t be a sufferer of Mr. Scott’s.
As a result of y’know, being the cash man accountable for laundering investor funds has nothing to do with OneCoin sufferer losses.
With respect to introducing a witness who determined to not put money into OneCoin, the angle Scott fears right here is simply how simple it was to establish OneCoin was a Ponzi scheme.
The Authorities has represented that it’ll possible name a witness who determined to not put money into OneCoin after studying Web postings suggesting it was a rip-off.
Such testimony is completely irrelevant and is clearly provided for the improper goal of suggesting that as a result of this one particular person determined that OneCoin was a rip-off after Web analysis, that Mr. Scott did or might have accomplished such analysis, and due to this fact doubtlessly got here to an analogous conclusion.
The implication being that Scott knew OneCoin was dodgy as hell, he simply didn’t care.
“Present me the monay so I can spend it on good issues! But in addition don’t point out that at trial…”
Mr. Scott bought a ship, property, sports activities automobiles, watches (and) luxurious items throughout or after the interval of the charged offense.
It’s clearly laborious to stroll Scott’s position in OneCoin’s fraud again, and so we have now all of the “suppress this, suppress that!” nonsense.
Based mostly on his movement, “conceal as a lot from the jury” just about sums up Scott’s protection.
The DOJ’s motions in limine search to forestall Scott from trotting out defenses that don’t have anything to do with him laundering OneCoin investor funds.
The DOJ has requested Scott be prohibited from providing proof pertaining to his “mind-set”.
Particularly, the Authorities strikes to preclude (1) proof or argument in regards to the defendant’s household backgrounds, well being situations, ages, or another private components unconnected to his guilt or innocence, and the potential punishment he faces if convicted; and
(2) proof or argument in regards to the defendant’s prior fee of excellent acts or lack of dangerous acts.
Appears to be like like Scott intends to place up some whopper sob tales at trial.
Of word within the DOJ’s motions submitting is reference to a “cooperating witness” (CW).
The DOJ identifies the CW as “a pacesetter within the OneCoin fraud scheme”.
The Authorities additionally expects to name the CW to testify at trial.
Throughout the CW’s testimony, the Authorities expects that the CW will testify about conversations with co-conspirators that had been made in furtherance of the OneCoin Scheme.
Specifically;
statements made to the CW instantly following Scott’s arrest to guard and proceed the charged conspiracies.
As to who CW is, my thoughts instantly went to Sebastian Greenwood.
Scott was arrested in September 2018. Greenwood on the time was nonetheless at massive, till his arrest in Thailand in early November.
By the top of November 2018, Greenwood is believed to have been extradited to the US. Since then he’s disappeared into an info black gap, which inserts if he’s cooperating with the DOJ.
I is perhaps fallacious on this and there might very effectively be some unknown participant we’re not conscious of from the Sofia workplace.
Whoever CW is, the DOJ are being awfully cagey about it.
However actually, I can’t consider anybody else Mark Scott would flip to in a panic, that’s excessive up sufficient in OneCoin to proceed managing the cash laundering… and somebody the DOJ has entry to.
Conspicuously, Greenwood has additionally not been publicly charged by the DOJ.
However if the DOJ has flipped Konstantin Ignatov, received’t that be one thing. It nonetheless begs the query what on Earth occurred to Greenwood although.
Guess we’ll discover out both manner at trial.
One last factor I’ll go away you with is that this perception of life on the prime of OneCoin;
The jury will hear that the contributors in these conspiracies had been extraordinarily involved for his or her bodily security, and took measures, together with hiring bodyguards, and driving in armored autos, to guard themselves in response to threats of violence, and precise violence.
These threats and violence had been instantly related to the conspirators’ involvement within the OneCoin Scheme, together with the dealing with and motion of enormous quantities of prison proceeds, usually in money.
The proof at trial can even present that as a result of the conspirators had been engaged in a prison scheme, they had been unable or unwilling to report these threats or incidents of violence to regulation enforcement authorities, and selected as a substitute to guard themselves via different means, comparable to by hiring bodyguards.
Pending a printed order on Scott’s the DOJ’s motions in limine, keep tuned…