FORT
LAUDERDALE, Fla. -
Two
suspended Broward Sheriff's Office deputies with ties to convicted Ponzi
schemer Scott Rothstein now face federal criminal conspiracy charges.
Federal
prosecutors filed charges Friday in Fort Lauderdale against Lt. David Benjamin,
48, of Boca Raton, and Detective Jeff Poole, 47, of Weston.
They're
accused of abusing their law enforcement powers to help Rothstein, who is
serving a 50-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to orchestrating the
scam that involved investments in nonexistent legal settlements.
Specifically,
the charging documents allege Benjamin received about $185,000 in cash and
other items of value from Rothstein in return for providing his assistance when
needed. That included arranging with Poole to arrest the ex-wife of an attorney
who was engaged in a child custody dispute with her, arranging to use force and
threats of force against the boyfriend of an escort who was threatening to
expose the illicit relationship which existed between the escort and one of
Rothstein's partners, and assisting Rothstein in loading cash and jewelry onto
a private plane which was used by Rothstein to flee to Morocco on Oct. 27,
2009, as the Ponzi scheme was beginning to unravel.
"The
allegations, as you know, were very serious," Sheriff Scott Israel said.
"The implications were great."
According
to court documents, Poole faces up to 10 years in prison for conspiring to
violate civil rights, while Benjamin could be sentenced to five years for
extortion and civil rights violations. Both charges carry fines of up to
$250,000.
Israel
said both deputies were fired. They had been serving suspensions with pay since
Israel took office last year.