Shkreli defense nse rests in pizza a
A lawyer for “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli made a bizarre last-ditch effort Friday to convince jurors his client was innocent — by likening the prosecution’s case to a pizza hurled against a wall.
“Imagine someone coming in here and throwing a pizza,” Ben Brafman told jurors in Brooklyn federal court as his closing arguments spilled over to a second day.
“Someone who walks in here would look up and say, ‘What is that crap on the wall? It looks terrible.’ ”
The lawyer was criticizing the dozens of prosecutorial witnesses who testified at the five-week trial that Shkreli (right, at court Friday) had siphoned money from his former pharmaceuticals firm, Retrophin, to pay off investors in his failing hedge fund.
“They cannot throw stuff against the wall and hope some of it sticks and use it to convict him,” Brafman bellowed. “The government has not earned the right to get you to make him a felon.”
Shkreli, 34, faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of securities and wire fraud.
On Thursday, Brafman conjured up a different food analogy in 2 ½ hours of closing arguments, producing a bag of Ruffles potato chips to illustrate the effort Shkreli poured into his company.
Later Friday, as the judge read the jurors their instructions, Shkreli himself snacked on Fritos and guzzled soda.
Prosecutors gave a nearly hourlong rebuttal Friday.
“You could convict on the defendant’s own words . . . alone. That is how strong the evidence is,” said Assisstant US Attorney Jacc- quelyn Kasulis.
“You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul. It doesn’t work that way.”
Jurors will begin de- liberations Monday.
Meanwhile, Lauren n Duca, the reporter whoo in January rejected ed Shkreli’s online advances by saying sheshe would “rather eat my own organs,” fired back afterter he harassed her yet again.n.
“Trial’s over tomorrow, morrow, bitches,” Shkreli had said in Facebook Live video Thurs-Thursday. “Then if I’m acquitted,tted, I get to f--k Lauren Duca.” a.”
Duca shot back on Twit-Twitter Friday: “I would (still)still) rather eat my own organs.ans. So much as touch me, and I’ll gladly chop off onee of yours.”