Helmsleys Plead Not Guilty in $4-Million U.S. Tax Scam Case

Billionaire couple Harry and Leona Helmsley, sitting in court alongside several defendants in the “Pizza Connection II” heroin smuggling case, pleaded innocent today to federal charges stemming from an alleged $4-million tax scam.

Their pleas of “not guilty”--the only words they spoke during arraignment in U.S. District Court--were followed by a date with federal marshals for fingerprinting and mug shots.

Today’s court appearance for the 79-year-old Helmsley and his wife, the self-proclaimed “hotel queen,” whose combined estimated net worth of $1.4 billion makes them among the world’s richest couples, was a repeat of their appearance in state court last week on similar charges.

The Helmsleys were released without bail, but must surrender their passports pending trial. The same applied to two former Helmsley employees who are co-defendants and also pleaded innocent.

The federal charges, a 47-count indictment that accuses the Helmsleys of funneling $4 million of tax money to renovate their Connecticut estate, are part of an “unfair and groundless” attack based on the couple’s high profile, their lawyers said.