Accused Held on Charges Of Defrauding Chinese, Foreigners of $23,402
Net Deficit of $110,473, Including $22,000 for War Losses, Sustained, Accounts Show The case against Mons Levitsky, Joseph Lenin and several others was adjourned by the First Special District Court yesterday until next week.
In nine charges filed by the Settlement Police against them, the defendants were alleged to have obtained between them a total of $23,402 from Chinese and foreigners, including a well-known British broker, by fraudulent means.
While admitting that the Police did have a case against him which sent him to prison in connection with the $154,000 fraud on the Chartered Bank, Joseph Lenin said he had been wrong-accused this time.
Besides Levitsky, alias Levit, alias Levitch, and Lenin, alias A. Pashinroff, alias S. Pirogoff, other names listed in the prosecution's charge sheet include Michael Paderevsky, Russian, aged 46; O. A. Castro, Spanish, aged 8, and three Chinese. While the charges against the three Chinese were withdrawn yesterday, Mr. Paul Y. Ru, Assistant Municipal Advocate, who conducted the prosecution, told the Court that a Portuguese named Remedios had been charged at the Portuguese Consular Court.
Case Reviewed In reviewing the case, the prosecution alleged that the accused, with the exception of Castro, were concerned with forging a draft and a deposit receipt of the "Guaranty Trust Ca. of New York," with which money was obtained from several foreigners. Castro, Levitsky and Lenin were further alleged to have opened an "Overseas Traders Ca." to sell "sugar" and caused several Chinese merchants to deliver to them a total of $9,142.
Mr. Rue cited at length the case in which a British broker was said to have been defrauded of $9,142. According to him, Levitsky first met the broker last August with the proposal of having a big draft cashed by him in order to avoid the payment of fees to the Chinese authorities and other difficulties. Through Levitsky, Lenin was introduced to the broker as Pashinroff. as in the necessary the Bureau of Public Safety and the American Consulate to certify Pashinroft's signature in the latter's request to the "Guaranty Trust Ca." to have the money transferred. In reler to get the Bureau to witness Pashinroft's signature, a huge fee had be paid to the Bureau, and the broker was on several occasion: asked to advance money to the acused for this purpose, The prosecution further alleged that Lenin had produced after seve cetings a draft for U.S.$302,000 is Guaranty Trust Ca. of to one Pirogoff. Lenin e explained to the he had some secret work Russia and therefore he mes, However, he could name certified by the authorities also.
Certificate Obtained On the pretext of having to give nancy to the Bureau of Public Safety and the Russian Immigration Societ; to got his signature certified, the ae s alleged to have obtained from the broker. By similar methods, the accused also obtained nancy from several others.
George Panchishin, alias Pashinroff, who was convicted on a charge of pocket-picking on Monday and senced to two months" imprisonment da; witness in Court esterda' He said he had placed his passport with Lenin, who later asked m to have his signature certified at the American Consulate, Witness i he visited the American Con-late three times, for which he obamed $30 from Lenin. He was acpanied by a Portuguese named Remedios to the Consulate.
Mr. Ru, the Assistant Municipal Adve told the Court that the an Consulate's certificate was and excessive insurance one of the documents produced pylon dev Tonin in front of the broker.
Lenin tions was then using Pashinroff's name.
Afier several witnesses had been called by the prosecution, the hearing was adjourned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.