Scott Rothstein, a Fort Lauderdale attorney, poses for portrait at his office on Las Olas Boulevard, surrounded by sports memorabilia.
(Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/MCT)More Photos
Scott Rothstein, the Florida lawyer accused of running a mini-Madoff Ponzi scheme that cost investors a cool billion, has not yet been charged with any crime, but on Monday federal authorities filed court documents to seize assets that hint at the lavishness of his lifestyle. Among the items named were 20 luxury cars, 15 real-estate properties, an 87-foot yacht, 304 pieces of jewelry and $12 million stashed in Moroccan banks.
In a new civil suit, a group of three-dozen Rothstein investors alleges that TD Bank helped Rothstein run his scheme, and seeks more than $100 million in damages from the Canadian firm.
Read the civil suit, in its entirety, by clicking here. Click here to read the amended complaint for forfeiture, as filed by federal authorities on Monday.
"The Ponzi scheme would never have worked without the bank's cooperation and blind eye of the senior management at TD Bank to what was going on there given the tremendous amount of my clients' money that was flowing through trust accounts in that bank," William R. Scherer, an attorney representing the investors, told ABC News.
In a statement, TD Bank denied any wrongdoing.
"It is best not to jump to conclusions on our involvement or speculating on the total dollar loss, if any, or any amounts held in our bank," said Rebecca S. Acevedo, public relations manager at TD Bank. "The claims are solely allegations and not evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of TD Bank."
Calls and e-mails to Rothstein's attorney, Marc Nurik, were not returned. In an interview with the New York Times, plaintiffs' attorney Scherer suggested that Rothstein must be cooperating with the federal government in order for authorities to inventory his assets in such detail. "He's clearly singing like a bird," said Scherer.
Rothstein, 47, was the managing shareholder, chairman and CEO of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, a Fort Lauderdale law firm that once had 70 attorneys. He is also alleged to have run a covert investment fund out of the law firm.
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