HUGE OOPS IN MERLINO TRIAL

"Skinny" Joseph Merlino, just keeping winning.  Some may call it luck, some may call it happenstance, but in many ways it's justice for Joey Merlino.  One of the huge problems of the racketeering and medical insurance fraud case against Joey Merlino and a dozen or so others, is the FBI's mishandling of the case.  Mob mole John Rubio, is front and center of this trial, and the latest information to come out, can't be anything but a win-win for Joey Merlino.

The Feds contend that Joey Merlino was involved with four of the five organized crime families in what they dubbed "THE EAST COAST LCN  ENTERPRISE OPERATION."  They were into medical fraud and a host of others things.  Most of the information collected was from mob snitch John Rubio, was taping several of the "suspected participants," including Merlino.

The biggest problems the FBI has had, is how Rubio came across his information, without any oversight from the FBI.  We've seen this a dozen times, and one only has to go back a decade or more to see how the FBI has bent rules when it comes to getting a conviction.  Does Greg Scarpa ring any bells?  How about Whitey Bulger?

The latest to come out is that Rubio, in fact recorded conversations, and video taped meetings with Merlino in which the prosecution was going to use against Merlino, however Rubio deleted the evidence, by resetting the cell phone that was supplied by the FBI, making it impossible to prove where, when, and how, and it also how much evidence actually existed.  That at least is the argument Merlino's lawyers have made.

With most of the evidence botched, or even compromised to say the least, it's no wonder the Feds were asking Merlino to take a plea deal.  Merlino has refuted all assertions, and it looks more like Merlino is going to likely walk.  Merlino's lawyers put in motions to have the case thrown out of court, and if the presiding judge moves forward they want the case relocated to Philadelphia, PA.

It's good news for Joey Merlino and good news for Philadelphia.  Rubi
o at this point, has been a failure for the Government, and I agree with Merlino's decision to fight.  For the record Joey has never taken a plea deal in his life, and there is no chance he takes one in this case.  One of the reasons the FBI offered a plea deal to begin with is because the case was soft, and contingent on a rat, who either is a complete idiot, got cold feet, or just made it up as so many others before him have.  Joey just keeps winning, and that's a good thing.