May 22, 2006 1:53 pm US/Eastern
Indictment Makes New 'Junior' Gotti Accusations
Gotti Still Works For Mob, Government Says
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) ―
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John "Junior" Gotti (File)
AP
A federal grand jury charged John "Junior" Gotti this afternoon with continuing to commit mob-related crimes even as he claims that he quit organized crime years ago.
A rewritten indictment made the new accusations against Gotti as the government positions itself for the July 5 start of Gotti's third trial on racketeering charges. Juries deadlocked at two previous trials in the last year.
The indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan accused Gotti of tampering with a witness last summer and of using money earned illegally through the Gambino crime family to create and operate holding companies used to buy real estate and collect rents.
It said he used money made through racketeering to help establish and operate a brokerage company which received rent proceeds from businesses.
The indictment said Gotti participated in a conspiracy last summer to persuade a witness to testify falsely at a trial involving members of another organized crime family.
According to the indictment, members of the Gambino crime family recommended criminal defense lawyers to other members and associates to ensure they would remain loyal to the family and not cooperate with the government if they were arrested.
Since the end of Gotti's last trial, prosecutors have sent grand jury subpoenas to Gotti's relatives and suspected Gambino crime family members and associates.
Charles Carnesi, Gotti's lawyer, did not immediately return telephone messages for comment.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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