Disbarred Fort Lauderdale attorney who ran a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme through his firm Rothstein, Rosenfeldt & Adler (RRA). Bradley Edwards, who represented dozens of Jeffrey Epstein victims, was a partner at RRA. Rothstein's Ponzi scheme involved selling fake confidential settlement agreements in sexual harassment cases — precisely the type of litigation Edwards was pursuing against Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein filed a state civil RICO lawsuit against Rothstein and Edwards in December 2009. Rothstein pleaded guilty to five federal charges in January 2010 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. In Jeffrey Epstein's emails, attorney Fred Haddad called Rothstein 'as pathetic as Edwards.' Jeffrey Epstein personally monitored the Rothstein prosecution, emailing Bruce Reinhart to ask about the prosecutors assigned to the case.
Key Findings
- EFTA00014178 (Dec 2009): Roy Black letter describing 'the massive billion-dollar conspiracy created and run by Scott Rothstein' — Jeffrey Epstein filed civil RICO lawsuit charging Rothstein, Edwards, and others with 'tortuous and fraudulent abuses of process'
- EFTA00020703: Jeffrey Epstein v. Rothstein civil RICO case (502009CA040800XXXXMBAG) in Palm Beach County — Jeffrey Epstein alleged Rothstein's firm used victim litigation as part of Ponzi scheme
- EFTA00718710 (Jun 2012): Jeffrey Epstein email exchange with attorney Fred Haddad — Haddad says Rothstein is 'throwing his old lover Kitterman under the bus' and is 'as pathetic as Edwards.' Jeffrey Epstein responds he read the deposition and 'nothing interesting except your guy Adler clearly pointed as a bad guy'
- EFTA00768547 (Nov 2009): Jeffrey Epstein emailed Bruce Reinhart asking about the prosecutors handling the Rothstein case (LaVecchio, Schwartz, Kaplan). Reinhart replied they are 'long-time organized crime prosecutors' with 'limited experience investigating public corruption'
- EFTA00596581: Rothstein plea hearing transcript — pleaded guilty to Counts 1-5 before prosecutors LaVecchio, Kaplan, and Schwartz
- EFTA00640634 (May 2011): Miami Herald article forwarded by Scott Kornspan to Howard Srebnick and Roy Black — four more Rothstein colleagues charged with conspiracy, including attorney Howard Kusnick, IT employees William Corte and Curtis Renie, and Stephen Caputi
- EFTA00761764 (Mar 2010): C.J. Schmidt investigation report forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein via Story Cowles — Christina Kitterman identified as registered agent for multiple entities linked to former RRA employees and law enforcement officers (Fandrey, Jenne, Roberts, Fisten)
- EFTA02770202 (2011): Edwards joined RRA ~April 2009, left November 2009 (<8 months). Never substantively discussed Jeffrey Epstein cases with Rothstein. US Attorney identified Edwards as Rothstein victim