December 9, 2022: Scientologist David Gentile and his non-Scientology co-defendant Jeffry Schneider argued why the Court should dismiss the four-count felony criminal indictment against them. The co-defendants also asked the Court to not allow the “fruits of the Google search warrant” to be introduced into the case. The search warrant was executed by the FBI.
The 103-page transcript only recently became available. It is well worth reading to see Schneider and Gentile’s attorneys throwing every legal argument against the wall to see what would stick. Some of the arguments are insanely wild-eyed; unintentionally comical; and outlandish. But this is exactly what we expect from criminal defense attorneys like AMC’s Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul.
It all failed.
We learn from the transcript that the FBI and the US Department of Justice were conducting overlapping investigations of David Gentile, Jeffry Schneider, and GPB Capital. The FBI and the DoJ cooperated and shared information in their overlapping investigations.
Gentile’s lawyers tried to make something out of this to no avail. Gentile’s attorneys ridiculously argued that he was entitled to privacy in his own office. While a suspect has no expectation of privacy once a judge has authorized wiretaps in a criminal investigation or signed a search warrant, Gentile’s lawyers were nevertheless obligated to argue something if only to make their client feel better.
Then co-defendant Jeff Lash was present in court but was not part of the proceedings. He was apparently already cooperating and negotiating a plea deal. As we reported, Lash entered a guilty plea and allocuted in June 2023.
As part of his allocution, Jeff Lash directly implicated David Gentile in the commission of felony wire fraud. Lash specificized the “time, place, form of event” as they say in Scientology. The paper trail is indisputable in this particular act over $1 million was transferred by wire from Lash’s personal account to one of Gentile’s GPB business accounts where it was booked as revenue. That is conspiracy, wire fraud, and securities fraud.
Personally, we think David Gentile should blame the Church of Scientology for his crimes as did his fellow Scientologist Ponzi schemer Reed Slatkin (1949-2015). Slatkin donated million of dollars from his $600 million con to Scientology groups.
Reed Slatkin tried to blame Scientology as part of his criminal defense. We suggest David Gentile’s attorneys to play the “Scientology made me do it” card now. Scientology is so toxic, greedy, and vile that any cynical Brooklyn jury would buy it. Or at least we could see Saul Goodman making this play. Who knows? Life may yet imitate art in this case.
After Slatkin was convicted, the Feds went to clawback the millions he gave to Scientology. No one was surprised when Scientology went to court and fought to disgorge even one thin dime of Slatkin’s stolen money.
The Gentile-Schneider transcript of December 9, 2022:
Categories: GPB Capital Holdings
Brilliant dissecting.
I’d agree, because it is simply true also, “Scientology made me do it” defense.
It’s the new unbelievable but believable “twinkies made me do it”
Especially when Hubbard said in effect this defense worked for Scientology for years, because Scientology’s claims are just too incredible to be believed, so Hubbard kind of oozes this “defense.”
The “I’m part of a greedy cult, and they made me do it” defense is a legit defense, Hubbard would even approve of using it, if the shoe was on the other shoe and Hubbard had to play this defense out for himself!
“I brainwashed myself and brainwashed a lot of dupes, so we all are believers in the unbelievable, and we are, so don’t fault us!”