Former Trump lawyer suspected of being linked to New York's taxi king from Russia

A former lawyer for the American president is allegedly involved in fraud with bank loans and tax evasion. According to federal investigators, Michael Cohen took more than 20 million dollars in two New York banks on the security of licenses for taxi transportation. According to the New York Times, Trump's former attorney could have distorted the value of his assets.

In addition to credit frauds, Michael Cohen is suspected of trying to conceal part of the profits from his tax licenses from the US Tax Administration. Thus, the commission of Special Prosecutor Robert Muller had another way to talk to a lawyer in the Rashageit case. Earlier, Cohen declared his readiness to cooperate with this commission. The details of the case regarding the former lawyer Trump understood the correspondent Rtvi Harry Knyagnitsky.

Along with the former lawyer of the American president, back in May they began to mention the "King of Taxis" Yevgeny Friedman. The New York Times wrote that a businessman of Russian origin was a companion of Michael Cohen in transactions with medallions, licenses for the right to taxi traffic. Cohen then responded on Twitter with the hashtag “The media are all lying again.”

Former Donald Trump's lawyer tweeted the following:

“I am one of thousands of medallion owners who trust their management companies. These companies operate in accordance with the rules of the New York Commission on taxis and limousines. Jean Friedman and I were not and are not partners in this or any other business. ”

Taxi Medallion is almost a dream for New Yorkers as an apartment for a Muscovite. He brings money to old age. The number of licenses is strictly limited. Since the Great Depression, they only did what they wanted.

Фото: Depositphotos

In 2013, one medallion cost more than a million dollars. Under it you could easily take a loan, lease a license, trust the management company and just make a profit.

Evgeniy Fridman - one of those who have accumulated hundreds of licenses. Then Uber came to New York, and the cost of the medallion dropped to 250 thousands. And then federal investigators came to the "king of the taxi" Friedman and accused of tax evasion. He was threatened with 25 years in prison. Friedman made a deal with the investigation and promised to cooperate with the feds in the case of Michael Cohen. This writes the New York Times.

Photos: YouTube video frame

It is not clear in what form he promised assistance. It is unknown whether he testified against Cohen, but federal investigators found out that Trump's lawyer obtained loans from Sterling National Bank and Melrose Credit Union on the security of 32 taxi medallions recorded by 16 companies. Cohen himself and his wife are listed as company owners.

Each license was estimated at a million, although the market has not had such prices for a long time, and it was supposed to bring a million more dollars a year. It is reported by the New York Times, referring to the financial documents of Sterling National Bank. The investigation had two questions: whether Cohen did not distort the true value of his assets and whether he paid taxes on the profits earned on taxi medallions.

There is no information yet whether banks suffered losses due to Cohen. If not, the alleged fact of fraud itself may not be the basis for a criminal case. Nevertheless, if Special Prosecutor Muller proves that Trump's former lawyer violated the campaign finance law, in particular, buying the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels for 130 thousand dollars and the 150 thousand silence of former Playboy model Karen McDougal about the connection with Trump, then the story with taxigoers loans can hem to the case.

According to two sources in the New York Times, prosecutors may file charges against Cohen until the end of August.

Michael Cohen is not only the former lawyer of the current president, but also his close friend. He even went to Donald Trump's informal dinners. And now Cohen said he was ready to cooperate with the investigation of the case of Rashageyt and talk about the affairs of a former client.

How serious are the alleged frauds of Cohen, in which case the testimony of the former lawyer can be used in court, and why these suspicions are unlikely to become an official charge, on the air of RTVI, Ekaterina Kotrikadze discussed with Harry Rvni Knyagnitsky and lawyer Elena Shevtsova.

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