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Botti Corruption Trial

Dow: ‘It Doesn’t Fit Together’

by Jodie Mozdzer Gil | Mar 24, 2010 5:51 pm | Comments (0)

In his closing remarks Wednesday afternoon, attorney William Dow III tried to cast doubt on the government’s case against his client, James Botti.

Dow picked apart pieces of the government’s case, questioning the timing of events, the lack of evidence — and the credibility of witnesses who received immunity in return for their testimony. 

He repeated his argument that Botti tends to exaggerate, so statements he made can’t be believed.

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‘Greasing The Wheel’

by Jodie Mozdzer | Mar 24, 2010 12:48 pm | Comments (0)

Shelton developer James Botti was ​“greasing the wheel” in Shelton when he gave favors, gifts and cash to public officials between 2002 and 2006.

But he corrupted the land-use approval process and the ​“nice people” involved by doing it, assistant U.S. attorney Rahul Kale said in his closing arguments at Botti’s federal corruption trial Wednesday morning.

For more than an hour, Kale drove home points the government tried to make in two and a half weeks of testimony — that Botti bribed public officials, specifically Mayor Mark A. Lauretti, to get his developments approved.

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Defense Rests In Botti Trial

by Jodie Mozdzer Gil | Mar 23, 2010 3:27 pm | Comments (0)

In July or August of 2006, Andre Czaplinski visited James Botti at his office.

Their conversation escalated to an argument. As Czaplinski left, he threatened to tell federal agents about an alleged $50,000 bribe Botti gave to Mayor Mark A. Lauretti. 

That was the testimony Tuesday from Botti’s friend, Neil Heslin, who said he overheard the fight between Botti and Czaplinski that day.

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Witnesses: Botti’s Full Of It

by Jodie Mozdzer Gil | Mar 22, 2010 8:09 pm | Comments (0)

Shelton developer James Botti exaggerates and has outrageous buying habits. 

That’s the gist of defense testimony in Botti’s federal corruption trial, underway at U.S. District Court in New Haven. 

Botti’s attorney, WIlliam Dow III, presented four witnesses Monday. 

Three of them testified to Botti’s ​“bombastic” nature — the defense’s strategy to counter government testimony from witnesses who claim Botti boasted about favors and bribes given to public officials in Shelton.

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Sylvester Testifies On $30K Cash Snatch

by Jodie Mozdzer Gil | Mar 19, 2010 5:57 pm | Comments (0)

As Leon Sylvester took the stand for the first time Friday, he gave new testimony about how Mayor Mark A. Lauretti allegedly took cash from James Botti’s safe.

Sylvester, a former Planning and Zoning commissioner, wasn’t there. He learned about the alleged transaction from Botti, in a conversation sometime between 2005 and 2008, Sylvester testified during Botti’s federal corruption trial at U.S. District Court in New Haven Friday. 

“He described that in one of his offices, he and the mayor were talking and the safe was open and there were bundles of cash in the safe,” Sylvester testified. ​“And the mayor saw them, looked at them, and helped himself to three.”

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ON TAP FRIDAY: BOTTI, LAURETTI

by Jodie Mozdzer | Mar 18, 2010 6:34 pm | Comments (0)

For the past two weeks, Mayor Mark A. Lauretti’s name has been thrown around a lot during the federal corruption trial of Shelton developer James Botti, as government attorneys argue the two conspired to defraud the citizens of Shelton. 

Friday, jurors will get to hear Lauretti’s voice, too — via wiretapped conversations he had with Botti during 2005.

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Update: Dow Pokes Holes In Testimony

by Vanessa Inzitari and Jodie Mozdzer | Mar 17, 2010 9:06 pm | Comments (0)

When did James Botti tell his buddy about an alleged $50,000 bribe to Mayor Mark A. Lauretti?

Botti’s defense attorney, William Dow III, questioned the timing Wednesday, the seventh day of testimony in Botti’s federal corruption trial at U.S. District Court in New Haven. 

For almost two hours, Dow tried to poke holes in the testimony of Andre Czaplinski — Botti’s former friend and a key witness for the government in the case.

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