A MAN WHO LURED EX-CIA AGENT EDWIN WILSON INTO A FEDERAL TRAP WAS FINED $831,000

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303150004-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 16, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303150004-7
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
16 April 1985
KEISER
BY ANDREW BLUM
WHITE PLAINS, NY
man who lured ex- CIA agent Edwin Wilson into a federal trap was fined
Ernest Keiser, 65, vanished Jan. 31 and investigators said they believe he
fled to West Germany, where his citizen status may bar extradition.
Prosecutor Frank Castaldi urged Judge Gerard Delaney to sentence Keiser in
absentia to up to seven years in jail, but Keiser's attorney William Aronwald
argued his client once helped the U.S. government and should not be ordered to
jail.
'There was substantial and heroic cooperation by Mr. Reiser with federal
authorities,'' said Aronwald, noting U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani wrote
Westchester prosecutors urging the charges be dismissed.
''He was single-handedly responsible for luring Wilson back to the United
States," said Aronwald. He said Keiser also sought fugitive financier Robert
Vesta, met with him in Mexico City in 1984 and then supplied authorities a tape
of the conversation.
"Mr Keiser is not an evil man, " added Aronwald, also arguing swindled
Mamaroneck, N.Y., investor John Farris was a smart businessman who entered the
deal with Keiser with ''his eyes open.''
Delaney agreed a jail term would be useless because he doubts Keiser will
ever be seen in the country again, but imposed the fine, telling Castaldi to
find whatever assets he could of Keiser's.
"This will at least keep Keiser out of the country and keep him from
committing more fraud,'' said Delaney.
Keiser helped lure Wilson from Libya to the United States in 1982 with the
same property scam.
Wilson, sentenced to over 60 years in jail for arms smuggling, allegedly
tried to hire a hitman to kill Keiser. Keiser also claimed to be working to find
Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.
Keiser vanished less than two weeks after being convicted of grand larceny
for the Florida land deal. His wife, Bahira, faced perjury charges in a Florida
case and fled with him from their Virginia home.
Keiser was convicted Jan. 19 of swindling Farris. The $830,000 portion of
fine represented twice the amount Keiser swindled. The remaining $1,000 portion
was for his conviction for filing a false financial statement.
Keiser jumped $10,000 bail on the New York charge and $250,000 bail in
Florida, where he allegedly told a Tampa banker he could help squash an
indictment in return for $60,000.
Keiser was convicted of convincing Farris to invest in land Keiser supposedly
owned in Florida. Prosecutors said Keiser had only an option to buy the
property.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303150004-7
STAT