Politics & Government
Emails May Play Big Role In Shoreline Gifting Tables Case
Three Shoreline women accused of running the pyramid allegedly talked about their scheme in emails
The New Haven Register is reporting that emails may play a big part in the government's case against the , operated by three Shoreline women.
According to the article, the women--Donna Bello, 55, of Guilford, Jill Platt, 64, of Guilford, and Bettejane Hopkins, 66, of Essex--allegedly used email to talk about the pyramid scheme.
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“It’s got to look a bit dim for the defendants in the case if the government’s allegations aren’t rebutted concerning the kinds of email traffic detailed in the indictment,” Jeffrey Meyer, former federal prosecutor ad Quinnipiac University School of Law professor told The Register.
Meyer and another lawyer who spoke to The Register agree that the case against the women is "solid" due to the investigation, witnesses, indictment and email traffic.
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Nearby lawyer Norm Pattis, however, told The Register that this case "isn’t necessarily one the government should be involved in."
Each of the three women was charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, filing a false tax return, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the article says, adding that they pled "not guilty" last Wednesday in federal court.