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Sources: Lawyer Scott Rothstein cooperating with feds

Scott Rothstein, the flashy Fort Lauderdale lawyer who investors say fleeced them out of hundreds of millions of dollars and whose partners say wiped out his law firm's finances, is cooperating with federal investigators and identifying others who may be involved in his alleged scam, sources familiar with the probe said Wednesday.

Rothstein and his defense attorney, Marc Nurik -- seeking to cooperate with the feds -- disclosed details of his alleged Ponzi scheme to prosecutors, FBI agents and IRS agents at the U.S. attorney's office in Fort Lauderdale, the sources said.

Investigators are not only looking into allegations that Rothstein bilked investors by selling them ``fabricated'' civil settlements, but also into accusations that he stole from his law firm's financial operations and from clients' trust accounts, the sources said.

Back from Morocco, attorney Scott Rothstein faces feds

A flashy Fort Lauderdale lawyer who investors say fleeced them for hundreds of millions of dollars and whose partners say wiped out his law firm's finances flew back from Morocco on Tuesday to face federal prosecutors considering criminal charges, sources familiar with the probe said.

While Scott Rothstein and his defense attorney, Marc Nurik, met with prosecutors, a Broward County judge appointed an independent receiver to examine the financial records of Rothstein's law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler.

Rothstein, 47, had left for Morocco on Friday as news of his alleged investment scam started leaking around Broward County. He came back facing an FBI investigation and the loss of his Las Olas Boulevard law firm. The once high-flying firm, formed in 2002, has only $500,000 left in its bank account, a lawyer said.

Feds probe prominent Broward attorney Scott Rothstein

Federal authorities on Monday were conducting a criminal investigation into high-profile Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, who is suspected of operating a Ponzi scheme by selling tens of millions of dollars in fabricated legal settlements to investors.

Rothstein -- known for giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to state politicians and as the co-sponsor of a golf-tournament benefit with former Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday -- hired a lawyer over the weekend from his own firm.

Rothstein was out of town and could not be reached for comment. News of the investigation spread from South Florida to Tallahassee.

Scott Rothstein Ponzi case turns to raids on banks

Perched in his bunker-like Fort Lauderdale office, attorney Scott Rothstein raided hundreds of millions of dollars from the trust accounts of more than 20 investment groups with a few keystrokes on his computer -- all within the last three months, according to court records and sources familiar with an FBI investigation.

Wielding unusual authority over his clients' bank accounts, Rothstein stole the money held at two Toronto Dominion bank branches while forging financial letters and statements indicating the money was available on deposit when it wasn't, according to a U.S. government court filing and sources.

Rothstein's uncle, Bill ``Brock'' Boockvor -- who traveled with Rothstein in late October to Casablanca as the investment scandal unfolded -- also had access to secret computer passwords for the investors' bank accounts, as did two other employees at Rothstein's now-defunct law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, sources said.

Rothstein pleads not guilty to racketeering charges

Scott Rothstein, the flashy Fort Lauderdale attorney who authorities say ran a $1.2 billion investment scam while acting like a philanthropic tycoon, faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted on federal racketeering and other charges.

Rothstein, who had fled to Morocco in late October but returned in early November, was arrested Tuesday morning by federal agents and later pleaded not guilty in Fort Lauderdale federal court to the RICO conspiracy and four other charges. Those other offenses are money-laundering conspiracy, mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud.

Federal officials said the financial fraud orchestrated by Rothstein is the largest in South Florida history.