South Fla Pols, Developers Scared Busted Lawyer Alan Koslow Was Wearing A Wire…For Years!
BY SAM FIELDS
As a result of the arrest of Über lobbyist/lawyer Alan Koslow, I strongly suspect the phones are ringing off the hooks at the offices of South Florida criminal defense lawyers.
As reported, the timeline of the investigation and arrest make it pretty clear that this investigation will not end with Koslow and his partner in crime Susan Mohr.
For more than a dozen years Koslow had been a partner and shareholder at the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff. In that capacity he lobbied gambling and land use issues.
Alan Koslow
Prior to Becker, he had been the City Attorney for Hollywood where he was forced out of that job for talking the City Commission into paying a secretary $50,000 in a sexual harassment case. The oops in this case was Koslow’s failure to mention to the Commission–and his wife–that he was playing “hide the salami” with this secretary.
The result was he was fired and received a 45-day suspension from The Florida Bar.
What did he learn from this scandal? Apparently nothing.
Sometime prior to November 2012 he was targeted by the FBI for a money laundering sting. What we will learn is that they didn’t pick his name out of hat. The law requires that the FBI had evidence that he had previously engaged in this kind of crime and was predisposed to their sting operation.
It is not surprising he was a crook. What surprises me is that he was a cheap crook. As a partner and shareholder at Becker he had to be making serious six figure money. Yet he did this for a lousy $8500 bucks based on a 5% commission of the money he thought he was laundering.
A mere ten months later, after agreeing to launder another $50,000, for which he would have earned the munificent sum of $2500, he was confronted by the FBI and arrested on August 22, 2013.
On May 26, 2016 the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Mr. Kozlow and Ms. Mohr would be appearing in Federal Magistrate Court on June 2. There was no indication that this matter had gone to a Grand Jury something that a person fighting the charges would insist upon as a way to gather sworn testimony from government witnesses. That testimony would then be turned over to Defense Counsel to use for impeachment purposes at trial.
The fact that Koslow has waived the Grand Jury strongly suggests he will be pleading guilty.
Further, the fact that he’s only facing a single count of money laundering when they could have gotten him for conspiracy, multiple money laundering counts not to mention the conduct that lead up to the laundering investigation, etc., makes it clear that he is pleading guilty in a negotiated deal with the Feds.
Of course, that doesn’t explain the missing 1,008 missing days. That’s the time between August 23, 2013 and May 26, 2016.
What took so long? Even government bureaucrats aren’t that slow.
To understand what was happening you have to know that Koslow “ain’t no John Gotti.” Omertà is not in his vocabulary. In fact, I believe Koslow is the exact opposite than a closed-mouth mobster. He would throw his mother under a bus to beat a speeding ticket
Therefore, there is only one credible explanation. For the last 1,008 days Alan Koslow has been an informant for the FBI. In all likelihood he was wearing a wire to ensnare other lobbyists, lawyers and most of all government officials.
Accordingly, I suspect there are quite a few folks around town who are going through their date books to figure out when, where and why they may have spoken to Broward’s newest “rat”.
I suspect they are also lining up lawyers in their own desperate effort to avoid the hoosegow.
If there are multiple defendants and cases, I can see trials for the next few years with this dragging out like the Scott Rothstein debacle.
If I am right I have one request of Koslow…should he read this—give my best to Rothstein and Stuart Rosenfeldt.
Stay tuned.
P.S. Although Koslow and the Feds have exonerated the law firm, that’s not the same as saying that none of the firm’s clients are involved. If it turns out that Koslow was going after clients of the firm, that will open a Pandora’s Box of ethical and legal worms that I have not the slightest idea will work out.
(Sam Fields is a veteran Broward-based criminal defense lawyer.)
May 28th, 2016 at 8:50 am
Public record. Where and for whom has he been registered as a lobbyist for the past three years. Who were his clients? Who has he given campaign contributions to. Not that he always registered ….
What does Mara have to say about this?
FROM BUDDY:
I assume the “Mara” this comment refers to is former Mayor Mara Giuliani of Hollywood (1986-2008). She was once a major supporter of Alan Koslow, who was the Hollywood City Attorney during her tenure.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:39 am
Why would an ETHICAL law firm hire the FIRED City Attorney of Hollywood when the CAUSE WAS UNETHICALLY NOT DISCLOSING TO HIS CLIENTS the City Commission A GLARING CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
May 28th, 2016 at 3:53 pm
Oh, sweet chickens coming hone to roost, I certainly hope. One never knows in S. FL. does one?
May 28th, 2016 at 6:00 pm
Let the games begin!
May 28th, 2016 at 9:02 pm
Thank you Mr. Fields. That was well written and very insightful. Thank you also for “hoosegow.” Haven’t heard that one since I was a kid and it brought back fond memories of my dad.
May 28th, 2016 at 10:18 pm
Rumor has him tied to John Knox Village and Century Village
May 29th, 2016 at 1:25 pm
Koslow is not the only one going to get caught here. So word has it he is singing like a canary. I know all else fails, you get caught, now become a snitch. Nice.
May 29th, 2016 at 2:04 pm
Or, you can call Alan Koslow’s lawyers and ask if Koslow is cooperating with the government by wearing a wire. That would be journalism — Alan Ross; Michael Orenstein.
Or, the delay could be due to the government’s need to use the undercover agents in the same operation.
This essay slides off the logical rails at “omerta is not in his vocabulary.” This was a sting. By the way, there is no evidence that the FBI was attempting to sting Koslow specifically and only him. Sometimes these stings are fishing expeditions and the predisposition is the lawyer contacting them.
He sold out for cheap, no doubt, for a lawyer. Koslow wore a wire and set up his firms clients? That would require a lot of DOJ approval. He got political figures to talk about past payoffs? No evidence of that.
What takes so much time? Ensnaring others to participate in money laundering scheme — it’s a sting. The operation took two years.
Hungry for another Rothstein like scandal? Sure. But Sam, you don’t have enough information to speculate about a wire based upon an information v. indictment, and a passage of time between arrest and charge.
May 29th, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Why is anybody surprised that this sleezebag would do something illegal?
May 29th, 2016 at 4:41 pm
I agree with Sam’s last comment and it is what has the lawyers I talked to talking. Selling out the firm’s clients to the Federalas would be a big no-no.
May 29th, 2016 at 4:44 pm
It isnt helpful when people WHO KNOW NOTHING begin posting nonsense which always as either the phrase “isnt it interesting” or” so word is” without ANY ACCESS TO THE INDIVIDUALS DOCUMENTS OR EVENTS they pretend to know about.
May 29th, 2016 at 9:47 pm
Sam, you described him perfectly!
May 30th, 2016 at 2:13 pm
Koslow has always been known as an all-around slimeball in South Florida. He’d sell out his mother for a few sheckels. That’s why the FBI targeted him. If he has been wearing a wire and making deals with the feds, his family is probably already planning its exit from SFL. What a schmuck…for a few dollars he’ll lose his law license and worse. At least we won’t have to look at that shit-eating grin and spray-on tan anymore!
And you’re right…Becker & Poliakoff is not out of the woods regarding Koslow’s shenanigans by any stretch.
June 1st, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Look for more sleaze as New York City Hedge Funds there and Connecticut look to invest in South Florida with NO STATE INCOME TAX and the ability of lobbyists to get PUBLIC LAND sold or leased at low rates to private investors. These conditions DO NOT exist in California. Texas has climate issues n the rest of the Gulf States are too low lying.
June 9th, 2016 at 11:50 am
Look up the word arrogant in the dictionary and Koslow’s picture magically appears. He even cuts the line at Dunkin’ Donuts. He is a total piece of crap and now he’s a rat just like his little putz buddy, Bernie
June 20th, 2016 at 11:01 pm
What will you write when no one is added to this money laundering plea deal? Broward may surprise most of you as really being a lawful community. Will you then launder your cynicism?
June 21st, 2016 at 9:23 am
@16 attending Meetings and reading County or City Agendas for over 60 years in the US Canada more than half of Europe Australia n New Zealand I can say Broward County with its Elected School Board Elected County Commissioners and Governor appointed Broward Health is at the bottom of the heep in intrgrity intelligence and taste. It is embarassing to go south north or west n see how much better County Governments are doing compared to ours.