High-ranking police officers helped protect accused lawyer
FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) – Twenty-eight city police officials, including captains, majors, undercover officers and the department spokesman, helped guard the home and businesses of attorney Scott Rothstein while, federal agents say, he ran a $1 billion Ponzi scheme.
Rothstein has not been charged or arrested, but federal agents seized his assets this week.
Records released Friday show the off-duty work by Fort Lauderdale police at Rothstein’s home in Harbor Beach, his Bova Prime restaurant on Las Olas, and the nearby Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm was so heavy, it required two police officials to coordinate. Rothstein’s cadre of uniformed officers included many high-ranking supervisors in the department. Two coordinators, Sgt. Steve Greenlaw and Officer DeAnna Garcia, were paid a 5.5 percent cut of the security-guarding total each week.
As Broward County absorbs the shocking allegations in the case, new attention has turned to Rothstein’s coziness with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and to one official at the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Rothstein’s friendship with officers and deputies dates back 20 years, with his work as a labor attorney representing police officers and unions. At least one investor said he bragged about his closeness to law enforcement.
Fort Lauderdale police officials said Friday that their officers were not witnesses to criminal activity during their 24-hour work for Rothstein, and no officer raised any concerns that an investigation into economic crimes might be warranted.