The defense lawyer for the former mistress and accused stalker of Yankees GM Brian Cashman wasted no time in telling jurors at her housing fraud trial that the case is tied to the baseball big.
“The evidence is also going to show that Brian Cashman’s attorney is actually here, or a representative from the firm representing him, in this courtroom sitting in the back row, wearing a blue shirt and glasses from Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker LLP,” said lawyer Lawrence LaBrew.
Louise Neathway, 39, was arrested in 2012 for stalking, harassing and extorting $6,000 and attempting to extort $15,000 more from Cashman by threatening to go public with their affair.
During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence that Neathway lied on an application to score $60,000 in rent breaks on her luxury apartment at 88 Leonard St.
“Some time in 2012 she was arrested, charges were brought against her alleging various charges related to Mr. Cashman and at that point these charges surfaced,” LaBrew said. “The DA chose to prosecute this case.”
While the defense focused on the Cashman connection, prosecutors have insisted that the Yankees boss has nothing to do with the case and didn’t mention him in their opening.
“This is a case about this defendant taking something she had no right to take, and in doing so taking away the opportunity from other applicants who applied for and actually qualified for this apartment,” said Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Kenn Kern.
After LaBrew publicly called out Cashman’s civil lawyer in front of the jurors, the young man quickly scuttled out of the courtroom.
When asked his name by reporters, he sheepishly refused and instead offered that of Cashman’s publicist. Spokesman Chris Giglio declined to comment.
Prosecutors are expected to try the extortion case next.