Cooper’s attorney wants details on cocaine use of star witness
FORT LAUDERDALE – Highpowered lobbyist Alan Koslow was the bait in an undercover FBI sting that caught only one fish.
An attorney known for his flash and flamboyance before his disbarment two years ago, Koslow will take the stand as a star witness in the trial of Joy Cooper.
The longtime mayor of Hallandale Beach was arrested Jan. 25 on felony charges and removed from office the next day. Cooper has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, official misconduct and exceeding the limit on campaign finance contributions.
Her trial is expected to begin next year.
During a hearing Tuesday before Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein, Cooper’s defense attorney Larry Davis argued he should be given access to more evidence detailing Koslow and his secret meetings with FBI agents — and what they knew about his cocaine addiction.
“We don’t want to set depos if there’s a lot more discovery related to the case,” Davis told the judge. “We’re kind of stuck in limbo land at this point.”
Fein said he would give prosecutor Catherine Maus another 60 days to comb through the voluminous files.
Koslow, who was disbarred after a conviction on federal charges in 2016, will play a key role in the trial as a witness for the prosecution.
Six years ago, two FBI agents posing as out-oftown
developers told Koslow they were willing to funnel campaign money to Cooper, then in the midst of a heated mayoral race against her political nemesis Keith London.
At one point, the agents came to Koslow’s apartment with $8,000 in cash stashed inside a Dunkin’ Donuts bag.
Koslow learned about the sting when the “developer” agents busted him on money laundering charges in a Fort Lauderdale hotel room on Aug. 22, 2013.
Koslow soon became an informant, meeting with FBI agents at least 75 times between September 2013 and May 2016, court records
“We’re kind of stuck in limbo land at this point.”
— Larry Davis, defense attorney for Joy Cooper
show.
On Tuesday, Maus made reference to Koslow’s efforts to ensnare other public officials in the dragnet — efforts that failed.
“Mr. Koslow thought he was talking to two developers with organized crime ties,” Maus told the judge. “Mr. Koslow began working with those agents [on other potential criminal cases]. Nothing came to light in any of them.”
Davis told the judge that court records show how Koslow came to the attention of the FBI in the first place.
“They indicated that Koslow was involved with the mob,” Davis said. “The Russian mob, the Israeli mob and Gus Boulis [a local gambling ship owner murdered in 2001] … He talked about how he was the last person to see Boulis alive before he was murdered.”
Davis wants the prosecution to release more details on Koslow’s drug use that could have affected his credibility.
“The agents said he was a cocaine addict, and they even talked to his dealer,” Davis said. “The reason the cocaine is important, it goes to perception and memory. Second, it goes to money. The reason he needs money is to pay for his cocaine habit.”
Davis referred to the cash drop the agents made at Koslow’s apartment.
“That $8,000 never went to Joy Cooper,” Davis said. “It went to Alan Koslow.”
Cooper’s next hearing is set for Nov. 29.