Attorney Pleads Guilty to Not Filing Tax Returns
Veteran criminal defense attorney Anthony Brooklier pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court Monday to two misdemeanor counts of failing to file personal income tax returns.
Brooklier will be sentenced Oct. 7 by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder. Brooklier’s clients have included Heidi Fleiss and his own late father, who was a convicted mobster.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Sally L. Meloch said the government intends to ask the judge to sentence the 52-year-old Beverly Hills lawyer to at least 15 months in custody.
During questioning by the judge, Brooklier acknowledged that he was also risking loss of his license to practice law by entering his guilty plea.
But his lawyers, Donald Re and David Chesnoff, said they hoped that would not occur. They told reporters outside the courtroom that Brooklier had received testimonials from many attorneys, judges and even some law enforcement officers.
Brooklier’s decision to plead guilty to two misdemeanors grew out of an agreement with prosecutors reached earlier this year.
Had the case gone to trial, he would have faced charges of failing to file returns or underreporting his income over a 10-year-period.
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