Robert Altchiler, Of Counsel to Grimes LLC and principal of Altchiler LLC, has secured the dismissal of an indictment and all charges against Ralph Pecorale, a lawyer in New York and noted U.S. Poker player. In an 82-count indictment in 2010, Mr. Pecorale had been accused of unlawful conduct related to an alleged mortgage fraud scheme in Brooklyn, New York.
The dismissal of the indictment and all charges against Mr. Pecorale was a direct result of Mr. Altchiler’s work on the case. Indeed, Mr. Altchiler was able to work with Assistant District Attorney Richard Farrell and to “open his eyes” to evidence that showed Mr. Pecorale’s innocence. In a press release, Mr. Altchiler said:
“I have never had a moment’s doubt of Ralph’s innocence, and am grateful the Brooklyn DA dismissed the case on its own motion. It’s not easy convincing the government it is wrong in a case of this magnitude, but I finally, literally after years of trying, was able to convince the government we were right and that despite an 82 count indictment, and 18 counts against Ralph, the case had to be dismissed. Rich Farrell, who has a high level of expertise in cases like this, and truly wanted to know the truth, was willing to listen to me, and review hundreds of pages of documents we had provided to his predecessors on the case, and the flawed evidence and theory of the indictment, that drove this case to the eve of trial. Rather than simply let a jury decide the case, Mr. Farrell took action to ensure there would be no trial. All too often prosecutors are unwilling to take such action, and we thank Mr. Farrell and District Attorney Thompson for their willingness to be persuaded, and halt the momentum of the case toward trial and the case itself. They say you can’t un-indict a defendant, but you can. You just need prosecutors willing to listen and look at their evidence with a critical eye.”
The dismissal has attracted media attention, including a piece in the New York Daily News.
A full copy of the press release is available here.
