Posted on: Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Ex-lawmaker's tax-fraud trial may face new delay

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A trial for former state Rep. Nathan Suzuki on federal tax fraud charges probably won't begin until sometime next year, according to a discussion yesterday in federal court on the status of his case.

Suzuki, 55, a Democrat who represented the Salt Lake and Moanalua areas, was indicted in June 2002 on three counts of filing false income tax returns and two counts of failing to disclose an interest in a foreign bank account on his tax returns.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He originally was scheduled to go to trial in November 2002, but that date was pushed back to February 2003. The February date was later reset for July 22, but the trial was postponed again until Nov. 4 at the request of Suzuki's lawyer, Michael Green.

Green yesterday told U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie that federal prosecutors may try to add the charge of conspiracy to commit tax evasion to the charges against Suzuki, in which case he will need more time to prepare for the trial.

Edward "Ted" Groves, of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Western Criminal Enforcement Section, told Rafeedie that there is a "hypothetical possibility" that the additional charge will be brought via a federal grand jury against Suzuki by the end of the month.

Rafeedie said he was keeping the Nov. 4 trial date on the calendar as a formality and will schedule a firm trial date when it is clear whether Suzuki will face any additional charges.