Carton begging pals to vouch for him with court
Former WFAN morning radio host Craig Carton is begging friends and family to submit letters of recommendation on his behalf to the judge overseeing his $5.6 million Ponzi scheme case, according to documents obtained by The Post.
Over the holiday season, the ex “Boomer and Carton” host, who resigned from his radio gig in September, sent emails saying the testimonials could help his pending legal matters.
Carton, 48, said in the emails that his lawyers asked him to reach out to close friends to write character references on his behalf. He also apologized for making the request.
Lawyer Robert Gottlieb insisted his client was headed to trial, and told The Post no deal was in the works and the letters had “absolutely nothing to do with working on a plea deal.”
“There is no plea deal,” Gottlieb said. He declined to comment on why Carton might be seeking the letters.
Sports attorney Daniel Wallach balked at the assertion the letters were meant for anything but a potential plea deal.
“It just seems an out-of-character behavior for a man who hasn’t pled guilty. It’s grossly premature,” Wallach said. “If you’re going to deny the charges, you can deny the charges and take your chances in court. If you’re asking for letters of support, you’re signaling you’re looking to plead guilty or looking for a lighter sentence.”
Carton pleaded “not guilty” in September to charges of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud.
He’s accused of duping investors into thinking they’d get huge returns if they threw money toward bulk purchases of tickets to performances by various stars, including Justin Bieber and Katy Perry.
Prosecutors say he used the funds to instead pay off hefty personal gambling debts.
Carton faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.