Jury finds Black, others guilty of criminal fraud

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

CHICAGO, July 13 (Reuters) A US jury today found former media mogul Conrad Black guilty of multiple counts of criminal fraud and a single count of obstruction of justice but acquitted him of racketeering and tax charges.

The 62-year-old Canadian-born member of Britain's House of Lords could face up to 35 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines and forfeitures.

Black was found guilty of three mail fraud counts and one charge of obstruction of justice out of the 13 counts against him. He and three others in the trial were acquitted of failing to file corporate tax returns.

The three former associates were also found guilty of multiple mail fraud counts that could send each of them to prison for up to 15 years.

Black sat largely expressionless as the verdicts were read but a visible scowl crept across his face when he was found guilty of obstructing justice -- a charge that related to his removing cartons of records from his Toronto office.

Black's 25-year-old daughter Alana and columnist-wife Barbara Amiel Black leaned over to talk to him; he remained seated at the defense table.

Judge Amy St Eve of the US District Court who preside over the trial will decide the amount of the fines and forfeitures, which could include Black's Palm Beach, Florida, estate and assorted other luxury items a CHICAGO, July 13 (Reuters) A US jury today found former media mogul Conrad Black guilty of multiple counts of criminal fraud and a single count of obstruction of justice but acquitted him of racketeering and tax charges.

The 62-year-old Canadian-born member of Britain's House of Lords could face up to 35 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines and forfeitures.

Black was found guilty of three mail fraud counts and one charge of obstruction of justice out of the 13 counts against him. He and three others in the trial were acquitted of failing to file corporate tax returns.

The three former associates were also found guilty of multiple mail fraud counts that could send each of them to prison for up to 15 years.

Black sat largely expressionless as the verdicts were read but a visible scowl crept across his face when he was found guilty of obstructing justice -- a charge that related to his removing cartons of records from his Toronto office.

Black's 25-year-old daughter Alana and columnist-wife Barbara Amiel Black leaned over to talk to him; he remained seated at the defense table.

Judge Amy St Eve of the US District Court who preside over the trial will decide the amount of the fines and forfeitures, which could include Black's Palm Beach, Florida, estate and assorted other luxury items a $2.6 million diamond ring.

Black and the others had been accused by US prosecutors of pilfering $60 million in payments that should have benefited Hollinger International Inc., once the world's third-largest English language newspaper chain, and its shareholders.

At one time, Hollinger's major newspaper holdings included such prominent names as the Daily Telegraph of London, the Jerusalem Post and Canada's National Post.

The verdict came after nearly 15 weeks of testimony in federal court.

The prosecution was led by the office of Chicago-based US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who also prosecuted former White House aide Scooter Libby.

The jury of nine women and three men had considered the complex, 42-count case for 12 days since it was handed to them on June 27.

In a trial that featured about 50 witnesses, prosecutors painted Black and his associates as no better than common thieves.

The defense said the men, who pleaded not guilty and did not take the stand in their own defense, were victims of over-zealous prosecutors who failed to produce either a ''smoking gun'' or victims.

The government's star witness was long-time Black partner David Radler, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in an agreement that required him to testify against the four men in exchange for up to 29 months in jail.

The prosecution tried to show that Black and the others were just as guilty as Radler and, like him, lied about what they did.

The defense depicted Radler as a serial liar.

Black was ousted as chairman of Hollinger International in 2003 after shareholders questioned the non-compete payment deals. An internal investigation in 2004 concluded that he and other executives oversaw a ''corporate kleptocracy.'' The co-defendants were former Hollinger International Inc. chief financial officer Jack Boultbee, 64; Peter Atkinson, 60, former vice president and general counsel for the same company, and Mark Kipnis, 59, a former Hollinger lawyer.

All were found guilty of the same counts of mail fraud as Black.

Hollinger International is now called the Sun-Times Media Group.

REUTERS SR RK2310 .6 million diamond ring.

Black and the others had been accused by US prosecutors of pilfering million in payments that should have benefited Hollinger International Inc., once the world's third-largest English language newspaper chain, and its shareholders.

At one time, Hollinger's major newspaper holdings included such prominent names as the Daily Telegraph of London, the Jerusalem Post and Canada's National Post.

The verdict came after nearly 15 weeks of testimony in federal court.

The prosecution was led by the office of Chicago-based US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who also prosecuted former White House aide Scooter Libby.

The jury of nine women and three men had considered the complex, 42-count case for 12 days since it was handed to them on June 27.

In a trial that featured about 50 witnesses, prosecutors painted Black and his associates as no better than common thieves.

The defense said the men, who pleaded not guilty and did not take the stand in their own defense, were victims of over-zealous prosecutors who failed to produce either a ''smoking gun'' or victims.

The government's star witness was long-time Black partner David Radler, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in an agreement that required him to testify against the four men in exchange for up to 29 months in jail.

The prosecution tried to show that Black and the others were just as guilty as Radler and, like him, lied about what they did.

The defense depicted Radler as a serial liar.

Black was ousted as chairman of Hollinger International in 2003 after shareholders questioned the non-compete payment deals. An internal investigation in 2004 concluded that he and other executives oversaw a ''corporate kleptocracy.'' The co-defendants were former Hollinger International Inc. chief financial officer Jack Boultbee, 64; Peter Atkinson, 60, former vice president and general counsel for the same company, and Mark Kipnis, 59, a former Hollinger lawyer.

All were found guilty of the same counts of mail fraud as Black.

Hollinger International is now called the Sun-Times Media Group.

REUTERS SR RK2310

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X