How Much Was Bruce Paid?
Former Assistant US Attorney Anthony Bruce, from the Western District of NY, led a grand jury to indict Frank Parlato on November 20, 2015.
Bruce likely suborned perjury to do so.
Bruce was accused in the past of suborning perjury – and was almost disbarred – over his prosecution of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club in 2011.
In the Parlato case, the focus of Bruce’s suborning perjury centers around a “Letter of Intent” [LOI], a proposed contract, dated January 2008, signed by Parlato, but never signed by Clare and Sara Bronfman.
Their failure to sign meant it was not a fully executed contract and, therefore, not enforceable.
That is not something Bruce bothered to tell the grand jury. In fact, Bruce misled the grand jury into believing it was signed by the Bronfmans.
Bruce made his fraud case against Parlato with the Bronfmans based on an unsigned contract that he led the grand jury to believe was signed.
He called Clare Bronfman to the grand jury to testify about the LOI in 2011.
Knowing there was no signed LOI, he showed Clare Bronfman the unsigned LOI.
He asked, “And this was at least the initial agreement between you and your sister and Mr. Parlato?”
Clare answered: That’s correct.
Bruce said: There is a signature on the last page, It appears to be Mr. Parlato’s?
Clare: Yes.
Bruce: But there are no other signatures on the document.
Clare: Correct.
Bruce: Do you recall the document actually being entered into? [i.e. signed by her and her sister]
Clare [perjuring herself]: Yes.
When he showed the grand jury the LOI – it was more than three years old. Nether party was operating under its terms. Yet Bruce weaved a tale of Parlato defrauding Bronfmans based on the terms of the LOI which he knew was not signed by Bronfmans.
He knew that neither Bronfman nor Parlato were obligated to perform on an unsigned contract.
Bruce also knew the grand jury would not independently investigate the truth of his assertions. In short, Clare committed perjury. Bruce suborned her perjury.
Before Parlato was indicted, when pressed by Parlato’s defense attorneys to explain how they could indict Parlato based on a contract that never was executed, Bruce claimed [on September 18, 2015] that he had a signed copy of the LOI.
When asked to produce a copy, he claimed he could not find it.
One of Parlato’s defense attorneys, Carol Heckman, wrote to Bruce on November 10, 2015 – 10 days before Parlato was indicted: “The Government claimed to have a contract with the Bronfmans that our client purportedly violated (somehow criminally). However, the Government does not have such a document, and the Bronfmans themselves have sworn it does not exist.”
Parlato’s lawyers showed Bruce sworn statements by the Bronfmans – made under oath in civil litigation – testifying they never signed the LOI and that there was no written LOI agreement with Parlato and them.
https://frankreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/bronfman-on-loi-testimony.png
Why did Bruce do it?
On August 20, 2015, Bruce told Parlato’s lawyers that Bronfman’s attorney, William Savino of Woods Oviatt of Rochester NY, was pressing hard to have Parlato indicted on behalf of the Bronfmans.
The Bronfmans are known to pay fees for indictments. Savino and Bruce are friends and colleagues. They teach classes at the University of Buffalo law school – as adjunct professors.
Maybe it was a favor to his friend. Or maybe Bruce received compensation for indicting Parlato, directly or indirectly, from the Bronfmans.
Did Savino receive compensation for Parlato’s indictment?
That seems likely.
Savino knew the LOI was not enforceable.
Savino signed a verified complaint for the Bronfmans on April 2, 2012 stating there was no written agreement between Parlato and Bronfmans.
In other words, three years before the indictment, Savino swore in a document in a New York State Supreme Court civil lawsuit that the LOI was never signed and was not a valid contract.
Yet Savino knew Bruce indicted Parlato based on the [bogus] LOI.
The two men colluded to falsely indict Parlato.
Did money change hands?
Now that Kevin Trowel – with the US Attorney’s Public Integrity unit – is involved, we may indeed find out.
Don’t be surprised if Bruce and Savino are indicted.
Former New York State Attorney General and US Attorney, Dennis Vacco represented Parlato. Vacco argued that the government wrongly asserted theories of criminal liability which included mistaken identification of critical documents. [i.e. The LOI]
Former Magistrate Judge Carol Heckman also represented Parlato. She wrote to AUSA Bruce that she would provide “evidence [which] would prove that … the Bronfmans were not victimized by Parlato. It did not matter to Bruce.
One month after Parlato was indicted, Bruce announced his retirement from the US Attorney’s office.
Frank Parlato was Anthony Bruce’s last indictment.
Sometime after Bruce retired, the DOJ dismissed the Bronfman charges against Parlato.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Bruce is indicted because of Frank Parlato.
In the words of Rudyard Kipling, “For the sin they do by two and two they must pay for one by one.”
Just ask Keith Raniere.