I read with unlimited glee and profound satisfaction the US Department of Justice press release of the nineteen count indictment of Steve Yagman. As a retired Los Angeles Police detective and a proud past member [sic] the Special lnvestigations Section (The “Death Squad” as referenced by Mr. Yagman), I would like to wish Mr. Yagman lots of luck after he is convicted and sent to a federal prison.
I sincerely hope “BUBBA” rips you a new asshole, Yagman. May you rot in hell, you despicable excuse for a human being. One last piece of advice…get a nose lob!
Jerry LeFrois, LAPD Retired
Not exactly the kind of jail house reading that Paris Hilton is getting these days, is it?
This letter was sent by Jerry LeFrois, a retired LAPD officer, after hearing about the indictment last year of Stephen Yagman, who describes himself on his firm’s web site as “[h]eld to be expert in civil rights litigation.”
Yagman subsequently filed suit in federal court claiming that the letter had caused him ‘extreme emotional distress.’ You can read the entire summons here as a pdf (hat tip: Patterico’s Pontifications)
Yagman’s case was eventually dismissed for lack of federal jurisdiction but the dismissal was “without prejudice” – in other words, Yagman can try again in state court or prove damages greater than $75,000.
All of this circus for a tax case isn’t the “norm” but then civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman is hardly about the status quo. For years, Yagman has filed lawsuits claiming that the LAPD abused and framed suspects and made false arrests – so you can see why Le Frois has no love for Yagman. Yagman has also sued President Bush on behalf of detainees at Gitmo, alleging constitutional rights violations. As a result, he has claimed that the charges filed against him are politically motivated and retaliatory.
Despite his protestations, Yagman was convicted this week on 19 counts of tax evasion, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud. The 62-year-old Yagman may well spend his last days in jail; he is expected to be sentenced to between six and seven years in prison. He could also lose his law license.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Yagman was guilty of tax avoidance for more than $100,000 in federal income taxes while he continued to live well. When he filed for bankruptcy, prosecutors allege that he failed to disclose his Venice Beach home yet continued to claim the mortgage interest deduction on his tax returns. He continued to rack up credit card debt and take expensive trips to Europe. Yagman was also found guilty of not paying his income taxes from 1994 to 1997 while he hid money from the IRS.
Yagman is currently free on $100,000 pending his sentencing, scheduled for September 24.
