NEW YORK, NY – In a shocking turn of events, a former New York criminal defense attorney, Scott Brettschneider, has been sentenced to 60 days of confinement in a community center, 4 years of probation, 80 hours of community service, and fined $2,000 for making false statements to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Brettschneider, 62, was convicted following a five-day jury trial in April 2019 for his role in writing a false letter to the BOP to assist an inmate to gain entry to a substance abuse program and thereby obtain an early release from prison.
According to court documents, Brettschneider and two co-defendants agreed to prepare and submit a fraudulent letter to the BOP about the drug treatment history of inmate Richard Marshall, a source of client referrals. If successful, their scheme would have resulted in Marshall’s gaining entry to the Residential Drug Abuse Program in prison, and potential early release from custody.
Brettschneider tasked his part-time paralegal, Reginald Shabazz-Muhammad, with the job of writing the fraudulent letter, and co-defendant Charles Gallman acted as the middleman between Marshall and Brettschneider.
Marshall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements, and was sentenced on October 6, 2018 to three years’ probation and a fine of $1,500. Shabazz-Muhammad pleaded guilty to making false statements, and was sentenced on January 30, 2019 to two years’ probation and a fine of $1,000.
Gallman, who was sentenced on March 20, 2019 to three years’ imprisonment, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements and to violating the Travel Act for bribing a witness.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrey Spektor, Lindsay K. Gerdes, and Margaret Gandy are in charge of the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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