Friday, March 8, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.
One of the women charged with Franklyn Perry in connection with collecting about $40 million from nearly 1,200 victims as part of a Ponzi scheme testified before a grand jury Thursday as prosecutors look for additional suspects.
Maria Shaw-Pimentel testified in accordance with a plea agreement -- which she is scheduled to enter into today -- with prosecutors, defense attorney Gregory Denue said.
"She did go to the grand jury, but I can't comment on what she said. It's a secret proceeding," Denue said.
Shaw-Pimentel today will plead guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and/or theft, securities fraud, sale of an unregistered security and theft, Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent said.
She will receive probation or concurrent prison sentences "as long as she testifies truthfully and cooperates in the investigation and any proceeding concerning the securities scheme," Laurent said.
When pressed, Denue said, "This deal gets her back with her five kids and allows the DA to go on to bigger fish he wants to fry."
He declined to comment further.
Shaw-Pimentel, Perry, 61, and Sherri Kamimura in January were indicted on 517 fraud-related counts.
Kamimura pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and /or theft and sale of an unregistered security.
As a result of the plea Kamimura must testify against Perry and faces anywhere from probation to up to five years in prison.
Police allege Perry told prospective investors he was loaning money to high-roller gamblers who had hit their credit limits at area casinos. He told them that for a minimum loan of $10,000 investors would receive an incredible return.
Perry, police said, would pay some investors a few hundred dollars a week, saying the payments were returns on the money they had loaned him. The weekly payoffs would then often convince others to buy into the scheme.
After Perry was arrested on unrelated sex crime charges in July authorities seized between $22 million and $23 million in cash, in addition to real property, such as cars and boats.
Kamimura and Shaw-Pimentel worked for Perry and are accused of writing contracts and accepting payments for him.
Laurent said authorities still have many unanswered questions.
"We are investigating to see if people other than those indicted are involved in the scheme," Laurent said. "In addition, we are trying to locate additional funds."
Although only $23 million was seized, it's believed Perry actually took in more than $40 million, Laurent said.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Valerie Adair, who is working on the case with Laurent, declined to confirm or deny whether prosecutors are looking into rumors that a local attorney worked with Perry to convince reluctant investors to buy into the scheme.
Perry is scheduled to go to trial on the sex-related charges April 8. The securities-fraud trial is scheduled April 29.
archive
