Thomas O’Brien, the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California who recently closed out the long-running case against law firm Milberg Weiss with prison sentences for several high-profile lawyer defendants, is now the likely prosecutor in criminal cases related to the U.S. mortgage meltdown. Reuters reports that according to SEC filings, O’Brien, a former radar intercept officer on board U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters, is already looking into subprime issues at New Century Financial Corp and IndyMac Bancorp Inc.
Reuters observes that if O’Brien brings any of these cases to trial, it would mark the first time that the Central District has prosecuted a major financial fraud case since the 1980s savings and loan crisis. In August, O’Brien told Reuters that “[o]ftentimes when we charge something we are the first in the nation to have done so. Somebody’s got to lead the way.”
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[...] Thomas O’Brien, the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California, reportedly is looking into bringing criminal cases related to the U.S. mortgage meltdown on the West Coast, a [...]