Latest update March 22nd, 2025 4:25 AM
Ed Ahmad’s Attorney wants more time
…cites complicated, recently emergent issue
The defence attorney for Guyanese Businessman Edul Ahmad indicted in the US has requested a month adjournment to address what he calls, “a complicated, recently emergent issue.”
Ahmad was scheduled to appear before Judge Dora Irizarry in a New York Court for a final pre-trial hearing before his jury selection process begins.
Ahmad’s defence lawyer, Steven Kartagener made the request of Irizarry last last Friday just days before his client’s court appearance.
Ahmad’s lawyer indicated to the Judge that the request is being made with the consent of the Prosecution Alexander Solomon.
According to Kartagener, the matter is grave enough to the point where a motion will be filed in respect of the “emergent issue.”
Kartagener indicated to Judge Irizarry that, “The concomitant press of other matters makes it impossible for me to file my papers prior to that date.”
He was referring to the date which was scheduled for the pre-trial hearing, hence the request to adjourn.
Jury selection is now set for November 5, 2012 at 9:30 AM and the trial will begin immediately after.
Edul Ahmad
The prosecution estimates that the trial will take one week.
The US prosecution had previously indicated that it would need some two weeks to complete its case against Ahmad.
Ahmad who is currently free on a bond had applied for permission to leave the New York jurisdiction to attend a separate trial he is involved with.
Judge Dora Irizarry had acceded to his request for permission to travel to the District of New Jersey “so that he may appear in court on a civil matter.”
His trial has already had to be adjusted due to scheduling conflicts.
In December last it was reported, that the Queens-based Guyanese businessman Ahmad had entered into “extensive plea negotiations” that had been slated to last for several months.
Ahmad was arrested last July on charges of operating a $50 million mortgage-fraud scheme in Queens. He faces a maximum of 30 years in jail. He is out on $2.5 million bail.
According to the Post article, court records also revealed that three alleged co-conspirators — Ahmad’s cricket pals and employees – were also indicted in an associated case last month.
Queens-based brokers, Qayaam Farrouq, Mohamed Gurmohamed and Steve Massiah were charged with defrauding banks and mortgage companies by falsifying mortgage-loan applications to make borrowers appear more creditworthy to financial institutions, the US newspaper reports.
The federal authorities later dropped charges against Massiah.
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