Tallahassee court throws out Unisys fraud conviction

[Judi Lynn]

Published Friday, January 2, 2004

Tallahassee court throws out Unisys fraud conviction

The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
An appeals court for the second time has thrown out the conviction of a man charged with being the mastermind of a fraud ring that stole nearly $500,000 from a state employees' health insurance fund.

A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Anthony Winter, a former Unisys supervisor who had confessed his involvement in the 1997 scheme but said one of his coconspirators, Toni Brestogianis, was the real ringleader. (snip)

(snip) Convicted of 14 counts of grand theft, money laundering and conspiracy in 1999, Winter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. But he appealed and the convictions were overturned. (snip)

(snip) The appellate court this week decided Circuit Judge Tom Bateman had breached Winter's right to a speedy trial by taking longer than 90 days to bring him back for retrial.
(snip/...)

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040102/APN/401020609