Ex-student guilty of drug trafficking

Former Wharton student and convicted cocaine trafficker Alex Moskovits was found guilty on all counts in his retrial in federal court yesterday, according to Michael Finney, deputy clerk to Judge Clarence Newcomer. Newcomer revoked Moskovits' request for bail after the jury returned its verdict, Finney said. As a result, Moskovits is now back in prison. Moskovits was sentenced to 17 years in prison and fined $50,000 at his original trial in 1988. His sentenced was reduced by two years in 1992 because of a problem with the original conviction. After spending seven years in prison on charges of drug trafficking, Moskovits won the right to a retrial after the original trial judge decided that his initial lawyers misrepresented him. During Hayes' summation yesterday, Moskovits interrupted her several times by lodging objections and calling for a mistrial. "The evidence proves that Alex Moskovits, while a student at the Wharton School ran a business that distributed over 50 kilograms of cocaine," Hayes said to the jury. "In this case there is no dispute in the law," she added. "He's guilty of the four crimes he charged." Hayes and another prosecutor, Wendy Bostwick, called several of Moskovits' ex-girlfriends, former fraternity brothers and cocaine dealers who were involved with him to the stand during the approximately week-long trial. She also used government wire taps in her presentation. Moskovits claimed the prosecutions witnesses testimony had "all been bought and paid for." He said they had all plea-bargained to get lesser sentences. Hayes responded to Moskovits' claims about her witnesses. "They paid a heavy price for their involvement with the conspiracy," she said. Throughout the trial, the judge insisted Moskovits refer to himself in the third person, calling himself, "the defendant." Newcomer replaced Law Professor Louis Pollack, who recused himself from the case because of a possible conflict of interest. Moskovits has been under house arrest in Miami since last winter. Since his release he has gotten married and started his own business called Menu Magazine. Moskovits had been asking for Pollack's recusal because he said that Pollack's relationship with the University caused a conflict of interest. Moskovits said earlier this week that he was upset with the way Newcomer was handling the case. He said Newcomer was "placing expediency over fairness." In the past, Moskovits has been represented by William Kuntsler, who defended such notorious individuals as Jack Ruby, Abbie Hoffman, Malcolm X and Lenny Bruce. Moskovits has also been defended by Robert Simone, a famous Philadelphia lawyer who also represented reputed mob boss Nicodemo Scarfo. Simone was convicted on federal racketeering charges two years ago.

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