Local News in Brief : No Evidence Minkow Beaten, Doctor Says
A federal court jury heard testimony Thursday from Barry Minkow’s physician that he never saw evidence that reputed crime figures repeatedly beat the young entrepreneur in an effort to control his ZZZZ Best carpet cleaning company.
If Minkow had been beaten, “I would expect to see some evidence” such as bruises or welts, Dr. Harold Lovitz said on a videotape played for a jury in the 22-year-old Minkow’s fraud trial in a Los Angeles courtroom.
Lovitz is recovering from heart surgery and was questioned at his San Fernando Valley home by a prosecutor and defense attorney.
Minkow, accused in a 57-count indictment of bolstering the books of his Reseda-based company by listing millions of dollars in income from non-existent jobs, has argued that he was forced into crime by mobsters who threatened his life if he went to authorities. Lovitz was called as a rebuttal witness for the prosecution.
On Wednesday, a friend of Minkow’s, Tony Scamardo, 22, testified that Minkow seemed to get along well with the reputed crime figures, often sitting around in his underwear and smoking cigars with them.
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