Evgeny Freidman, 46, has decided to be a witness for state and federal investigators, making a deal with them in order for him to not receive any jail time, according to reports from The New York Times.
Freidman is a Russia immigrant who owns a taxi empire in New York City. He was arrested last year in June for not one, not two, but four criminal tax fraud charges and one grand larceny charge.
These charges claim that Freidman along with a partner stole over $5 million in state surcharges that are imposed on New York City taxi rides, according to CNBC News.
This past Tuesday he pleaded guilty to one count of evading $50,000 in taxes. Now, he faces only five years of probation if he doesn’t go back on the deal. Freidman has saved himself from the 25 years of prison that each charge entailed.
Freidman’s deal may put pressure on Cohen who is already under a significant amount of pressure from the state and federal government. The United States attorney’s office in Manhattan is investigating the business practices of Cohen.
Cohen is also connected to Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 election of President Donald Trump. Last month, the FBI (influenced by Mueller) raided Cohen’s office and home.
Cohen is also under fire for a $130,000 payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. The money is rumored to keep Daniels quiet about an affair she had with Donald Trump.
Trump denies the affair but financial disclosure documents provide evidence that he paid Cohen for the expense of this $130,000 payment.
With Freidman now on the side of prosecuting investigators, this could push Cohen to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation. This could lead to some potential issues for Donald Trump and his legal team.
If this was a game of chess, then possibly the endgame will soon begin.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons
