'Taxi King' gets better plea deal after raid on Trump's lawyer

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

New York state authorities sweetened a plea offer made to a taxi operator who partnered with President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen after federal authorities raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room, according to court transcripts.

Evgeny "Gene" Freidman, known as New York's "Taxi King," pleaded guilty last week to criminal tax fraud for failing to pay $5 million in taxes in a deal that would allow him to avoid prison time.

The no-prison deal was a significant enhancement from an offer Freidman rejected on April 4 -- just a few days before the FBI raid on Cohen -- that would have included a minimum of two years and as much as six years in prison and a $1 million fine, according to transcripts of the March court proceeding. The offer included a sliding scale; if Freidman paid less than $1 million he would face more jail time. Friedman had faced as much as 25 years in prison when he was charged last year.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/politics/taxi-king-gene-freidman-plea-deal-michael-cohen/index.html?sr=twCNNp052918taxi-king-gene-freidman-plea-deal-michael-cohen0616PMVODtop&CNNPolitics=Tw

[Rainbow Droid]

1. What the **** did this guy give them to get off so easy on such serious charges?

Must have been something incredible. You'd think. You'd hope. You'd damn well hope. =|

[greyl]

2. He may have been key to the raids to begin with, and his statements turned out to be true.

Iow, the deal was made before the raids, contingent on whether or not he was full of shit.

[Rainbow Droid]

3. Obviously, but I want to see speculation on the "what" rather than the "how"

Because "I can imagine quite a bit."

but even that's not enough for this situation.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I see what you did there

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

6. That...

... my first thoughts upon reading the headline.

[grantcart]

4. I bet he was 'mic'ed up and got Cohen on tape.

[NCjack]

7. Yeah, this . Probably got Cohen to say that he had enough to send

Trump to prison for life.