Ex-fugitive in fraud scheme tied to $100 million NJ deli willing to pay millions for bail

The elder Cokers drove from their home in Chapel, Hill, North Carolina, for what turned out to be just a 10-minute-long hearing on Wednesday to see, but not talk to their 54-year-old son, who was in shackles for the proceeding.

“We love our son,” Susan Coker told CNBC after the hearing. “We miss our son.”

Coker Sr., however, snapped, “You must be hard up,” after being asked how he felt about having his son back home.

Coker Jr., who was dressed in a black, Nehru-collar shirt with red buttons, was nearly 40 pounds lighter than he had been before spending two months locked up in a Bangkok jail under what his defense attorney Azzarello told Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer were “pretty deplorable” conditions.

“I think he was pretty happy to see the United States as some of my ancestors were to see the Statue of Liberty,” quipped Azzarello, who entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of his client.

Hammer, after advising Coker Jr. of his rights, said he would keep him locked up pending a recommendation soon from federal authorities on whether he should remain detained or free on bail with certain conditions.

Azarello told Hammer that Coker Jr. had about $2 million in a Wells Fargo account in the United States, and roughly the same amount in an account in Hong Kong. However, the Hong Kong account has been frozen by authorities there, he said.

The lawyer also said the elder Cokers’ home, which they are willing to use as security so that their son can be released to live with them or his sister in the same state, is worth $830,000.

Coker Jr. is “pretty much willing to stake every nickel he has” to be released on bond, Azzarello said.

After the hearing, Azzarello told CNBC, “I don’t think this case, by any means, requires pretrial detention.”

But Azzarello said expects the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey to ask a judge to keep the younger Coker locked up until he, Coker Sr. and Patten, are tried for the serious criminal charges.

Coker Sr. and Patten, who were arrested in September after a grand jury indicted them and Coker Jr. on 12 criminal counts, each remain free on $100,000 bond.

Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, declined to comment when asked whether prosecutors from the office would oppose Coker Jr.’s bail request.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/16/nj-deli-fugitive-detained-bail.html