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Fraud Convict's Sentence Halved

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel June 26, 2008

He will serve 35 months after helping authorities with Boulis murder case

BY VANESSA BLUM
STAFF WRITER

A federal judge in Miami on Wednesday cut in half the prison term of a onetime business partner of dis­graced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, re­warding Adam Kidan for cooperating with federal and state investigations.

U.S. District Judge Paul Huck agreed to reduce Kidan's 70-month sentence for fraud to 35 months based on requests from prosecutors. They said Kidan, 43, provided sub­stantial assistance to officials investi­gating the 2001 slaying of Fort Lau­derdale entrepreneur Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis and other criminal mat­ters.

Brian Cavanagh, the prosecutor in charge of Broward County's homi­cide unit, said Kidan provided "a de­tailed explanation" of his knowledge of the Boulis killing, putting his own safety at risk.

Kidan is expected to testify at the trials of Anthony "Big Tony" Mosca­tiello, Anthony "Little Tony" Ferrari and James "Pudgy" Fiorillo, who could receive the death penalty if con­victed of Boulis' murder. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Kidan, a Long Island businessman, and Moscatiello had known each other for years. After Kidan gave a deposition in November 2007, three men assaulted Kidan in a prison bath­room, said his attorney, Jon Rosen­thal.

"There was a perceived threat," Rosenthal said.

Federal prosecutors said Kidan was particularly helpful with the fed­eral fraud case against Abramoff. Ki­dan's cooperation created a "ripple effect" by prompting the once power­ful Washington, D.C., lobbyist to be­gin cooperating with authorities in a wide-ranging investigation of corrup­tion on Capitol Hill, prosecutor Law­rence LaVecchio said.

Kidan and Abramoff were co-de­fendants in a fraud case stemming from their purchase of Dania Beach-based SunCruz Casinos from Boulis in 2000. Both received 70-month sen­tences after pleading guilty to creat­ing phony financial records to persuade lenders to back their bid for the gambling cruise line.

Abramoff is also seeking a sen­tence reduction in the SunCruz case and is set to be sentenced on corrup­tion charges later this year.

LaVecchio said Kidan alerted pros­ecutors in 2003 e-mails implicating Abramoff in the SunCruz case.

With the reduction, Kidan has 15 months remaining on his sentence at the federal penitentiary in Lisbon, Ohio. His original release date was Dec. 14, 2011.

Kidan was fighting with Boulis for control of the cruise line when Boulis was killed. Kidan has denied any in­volvement in the hit and says Mosca­tiello and Ferrari confessed they were behind it.

Cavanagh said Kidan's information filled in gaps in the government's case. The veteran Broward prosecu­tor told Huck he has concerns for Ki­dan's safety.

"I'm worried because we need him as a witness," Cavanagh said. "I ad­mire his courage."