FBI informant says mental illness a factor in criminal charge

A New Jersey FBI informant and his attorneys are claiming mental illness in an attempt to persuade the judge in his own case to be lenient in sentencing. The man faces a criminal charge in relation to a $50 million bank fraud case. After cooperating with the government in a far-reaching sting that led to the arrests of Orthodox Jewish rabbis, city mayors and other elected officials, the informant and his attorneys have filed with the court a 94 page document that includes psychiatric expert analysis of his own psyche and letters from family and friends asking the judge for leniency.

The accused man was a well-known real estate investor in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. He was arrested in 2006 after allegedly depositing two worthless checks in the amount of $25 million each and attempting to immediately wire the funds out of the account. Authorities originally believed that he was attempting to cover sour investments. Purportedly, however, he was actually at the helm of a $400 million real estate Ponzi scheme–until he ran out of new investors. It was then that, badly in need of cash, he allegedly attempted to pass the two fraudulent checks at a local bank and was subsequently arrested.

Once in custody, authorities approached him, seeking his cooperation in a long-running corruption and money-laundering sting that targeted high-ranking religious and political officials. According to court documents and reports from authorities, he secretly wore a recording device as an undercover FBI criminal informant. Reports indicate that he posed as a corrupt developer and offered cash bribes to several public officials and candidates in the hopes of expediting ghost real estate projects.

The sting came to light in July 2009 and the informant’s involvement soon became apparent after several high-profile arrests. In Oct. 2009, he was no longer involved with sting, charged in his own bank fraud case, and subsequently pleaded guilty to that criminal charge. Apparently he and his counsel decided that his best course of action was to strike a cooperation deal with New Jersey authorities in exchange for their agreement not to seek more than four years as his sentence. Now, the informant and his attorneys are asking for more leniency from the judge, citing a psychiatric expert who has diagnosed him with bipolar disorder.

Source: NJ.com, “FBI informant Solomon Dwek is mentally ill, his attorney says,” Ted Sherman, Oct. 8, 2012