John Meringolo, a New York defense attorney and professor at Pace University, died “unexpectedly” on November 16, two months after obtaining last-minute permission to represent former President Donald Trump’s Trump Organization and Trump Payroll Corp.
Meringolo told the judge in the retrial of alleged “We Build the Wall” scammer Timothy Shea, who is accused of defrauding hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors, that he had been hired by the Trump family to defend its companies after CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty and was required to testify in the case.
Meringolo said in a Sept. 14 letter to Judge Analisa Torres: “I have been retained to represent the Trump Payroll Corporation in its criminal trial scheduled to begin on the very same date as Mr. Shea’s retrial,” according to the New York Daily News. This request was turned down.
Meringolo had urged Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan to suspend the trial against Trump enterprises on September 2, but he was denied.
“That motion I received last week, or the notice of appearance, frankly, was almost bizarre, and it was dealt with appropriately,” Merchan said. “I’m repeating, we are not delaying this trial.”
Meringolo’s death was unexpected, according to his father, Richard Meringolo, who confirmed it to the Daily News.
Richard Meringolo remarked to the Daily News, “It’s horrifying. It’s a very sad day.”
The Daily News said that John Meringolo has amassed multiple acquittals and mistrials on behalf of renowned clients, garnering him a reputation for “beating federal prosecutors.”
“His professional accomplishments are beyond compare, but that is not what defined John,” his obituary read. “John will always be remembered for the way he loved his family and friends and the generosity he extended to everyone he met. He frequently went out of his way to help total strangers, knowing that a single kind gesture can go a very long way. His greatest legacy will be his two sons, Charles and Anthony, whom he loved beyond measure.”
Veteran NYC defense lawyer John Meringolo dies at 48.
Meringolo became a thorn in the side of federal prosecutors after winning streaks defending notorious clients in several prominent mafia, RICO, and large-scale narcotics cases.https://t.co/A0rN1XMB8h
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 17, 2022
Meringolo was an adjunct professor at Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law, teaching a course on trial advocacy. The school’s website listed some of his most significant litigation experience:
Joseph P. Graffagnino, a New York City firefighter, who died in the infamous Deutsche Bank Building fire. The building had been damaged during the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. The New York Daily News reported, “A document filed in court states that Meringolo will take 23% of the settlement, much less than the usual one-third cut.”
In United States v. Ofer Biton, Judge Nicholas Garaufis denied the Government’s direct appeal and affirmed the magistrate’s order granting bail to Mr. Biton, an Israeli national, after seven bail hearings. CONTINUE READING…