Mason v. Rothwax

152 A.D.2d 272, 548 N.Y.S.2d 926, 1989 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15485
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedDecember 12, 1989
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 152 A.D.2d 272 (Mason v. Rothwax) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mason v. Rothwax, 152 A.D.2d 272, 548 N.Y.S.2d 926, 1989 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15485 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Smith, J.

This is a proceeding brought in the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, in which petitioner Arthur Mason seeks a writ of prohibition barring the respondents from prosecuting him pursuant to indictment number 300/88, brought in New York County, on the ground of double jeopardy in violation, inter alia, of the NY Constitution (art I, § 6), the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution and CPL 40.20. The respondents move to dismiss the petition.

The claim of double jeopardy is based upon a Federal prosecution which resulted in the acquittal of petitioner on all charges. The Federal indictment was filed in September of 1987 and named petitioner Mason and seven other persons as defendants. Of the 58 counts of the indictment, petitioner was named in six (counts 1, 22, 23, 39-41). Of the 7 other defendants, 4 (Daniel Brier, Ronald Williams, Lawrence Klusky and John Geanoulis) pleaded guilty to various charges. Three others (John Galanis, Samuel Rosengarten and Anthony Márchese) were tried with petitioner. Rosengarten was acquitted on all charges. Galanis and Márchese were convicted on various charges.

[275]*275The Federal indictment grew out of investigations by a number of Federal agencies, including the IRS, the FBI, the SEC, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB), the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Federal indictment charged the defendants, inter alia, with membership in a continuing criminal enterprise dubbed the "Galanis Organization”. It was alleged that in the years 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 the Galanis Organization created and sold investments in a series of oil and gas exploration limited partnership tax shelters. Allegedly, the offering materials contained a number of misrepresentations and omissions. The Galanis Organization created a corporate front known as the Andover Finance Company to provide lending for investors. The Galanis Organization also used illegal means to gain control of several financial institutions, including the People’s National Bank of Rockland County, New York, the Heritage Bank and Trust Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, the CFS Corporation, which was a Connecticut savings and loan holding company, the Chilton Private Bank of Texas and the ISI Corporation of California.

The Federal indictment charged petitioner Mason, an attorney, with playing a major role in efforts to conceal the tax liability of one of the organization’s corporate fronts, with serving as a nominee in the organization’s efforts to gain control of the CFS Corporation, and with repeatedly making misrepresentations to the FHLBB. The relevant counts of the Federal indictment were as follows:

Count 1 of the Federal indictment charged conspiracy to defraud the IRS in violation of 26 USC § 7206 (2). Specifically, count 1 charged that between January 1, 1981 and the filing of that indictment, Mason, his codefendants and others willfully and knowingly agreed with each other (1) to defraud the United States Government by impeding the IRS in its ability to ascertain and collect income taxes and (2) to commit a violation of 26 USC § 7206 (2), to wit, knowingly assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns.

Section 7206 (2) prohibits willfully aiding in, procuring, counseling or advising the preparation or presentation of any fraudulent document, in connection with any matter arising under the Internal Revenue Code, whether or not the falsity is within the knowledge of the persons required to make the filing.

Counts 22 and 23 of the Federal indictment alleged a con[276]*276spiracy to conduct the affairs of a RICO and the conduct of the affairs of a RICO, and engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of 18 USC § 1961 et seq. The essence of these charges was the participation in a continuing criminal enterprise known as the Galanis Organization which created and sold investments in a series of oil and gas exploration limited partnership tax shelters. The offering materials allegedly contained a number of misrepresentations and omissions. The Galanis Organization also used illegal means to gain control of a number of financial institutions.

Counts 39-41 of the Federal indictment alleged a conspiracy to defraud the FHLBB in violation of 18 USC §§ 371, 1001 and 1343.

The State indictment, filed on January 27, 1988, was the result of an investigation commenced by the Frauds Bureau of the Office of the New York County District Attorney in the fall of 1985. An earlier investigation of Galanis by that office had resulted in a 1983 indictment (No. 3457/83) which charged Galanis and several others with the theft of several million dollars from the Chase Manhattan Bank. Indictment No. 3457/83 was still pending at the time of the filing of the current indictment in 1988 and the earlier indictment was disposed of when Galanis pleaded guilty in the current case.

The State indictment (300/88) charges 10 defendants including Mason and Galanis. Only four of the State defendants (Galanis, Mason, Rosengarten, Klusky) were also named in the Federal indictment. Seven of the 10 State defendants have pleaded guilty to felony offenses, leaving Mason and two others to be tried.

The 105 counts of the State indictment charge the defendants with creating, promoting and marketing a'series of 32 fraudulent real estate limited partnership tax shelter investments between February 1984 and June 1986 through corporate fronts known as the Consolidated Mortgage Company (CMC) and Nashua Trust Company (NATCO). With respect to Mason, who is charged in 39 counts of the State indictment, it is alleged that he arranged with Galanis for two law firms in which he was a senior partner to represent various corporate entities used by the defendants and to represent many of the real estate partnerships. Mason’s law partner, codefendant Richard Perrin, allegedly prepared fraudulent offerings and promotional materials for those partnerships represented by the firm. Also, Mason assisted in the purchase of the CFS Corporation with $3,600,000 in diverted partnership funds.

[277]*277Specifically, count 1 charges conspiracy in the fifth degree in that between February 28, 1984 and June 5, 1986, with intent to commit the felonies of grand larceny in the second degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and violations of section 352-c (5) and (6) of the General Business Law, the defendants agreed with each other to sell fraudulent tax shelter investments consisting of real estate limited partnership units and to perform various acts to further the sales. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly created Consolidated Mortgage Company in February 1984 and North American Trust Company in November 1984, whose name was subsequently changed to the Nashua Trust Company (NATCO). Mason’s activities included service, through his law firms, as counsel to NATCO.

Count 2 charges the defendants with a scheme to defraud in the first degree in violation of section 190.65 of the Penal Law by conduct, during the period from on or about February 28, 1984 to June 5, 1986, which included efforts to defraud at least 10 persons; the employment of fraud, deceit, misrepresentations and false and fraudulent pretenses to sell to investors units or fractions of units in 32 real estate limited partnerships; the formation of Consolidated and the formation of NATCO.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

MATTER OF JUAN C. v. Cortines
679 N.E.2d 1061 (New York Court of Appeals, 1997)
People v. Trucchio
159 Misc. 2d 523 (New York Supreme Court, 1993)
People v. Vesprey
183 A.D.2d 212 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1992)
People v. Helmsley
170 A.D.2d 209 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 A.D.2d 272, 548 N.Y.S.2d 926, 1989 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 15485, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mason-v-rothwax-nyappdiv-1989.