Local News in Brief : New Minkow Accusations
Federal prosecutors have filed a list of additional accusations against one-time carpet-cleaning whiz kid Barry Minkow, who faces trial this month on nearly 50 fraud, money-laundering and other charges.
Minkow, charged with using his Reseda-based ZZZZ Best carpet-cleaning company to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars, also committed 11 additional acts for which he has not been charged, prosecutors allege.
The additional acts cited include use and involvement with drugs, theft and forgery of checks, payment of kickbacks, beating of subcontractors and false advertising. Those actions show a pattern of wrongdoing by Minkow “well before any purported organized crime connections,” the documents allege.
The organized crime reference is an apparently response to comments by Minkow’s attorney that the ZZZZ Best founder was coerced into some criminal activities by mobsters who moved in on his business.
A hearing on whether prosecutors can introduce the new evidence to the jury will be held Aug. 22, the day before the scheduled start of Minkow’s trial in U.S. District Court.
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