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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 16, 2005

Ex-newspaper mogul hit with more charges

By Dave Carpenter
Associated Press

CHICAGO — Former newspaper mogul Conrad Black, already accused of fraud, was indicted by federal prosecutors yesterday on additional charges including racketeering and obstruction of justice. He now faces a maximum prison sentence of 95 years if convicted.

The new charges came two weeks after Black pleaded not guilty to charges related to the alleged looting of more than $80 million from Hollinger International Inc., the newspaper empire he once controlled.

The charges were brought in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago and announced by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office.

Black's former chief financial adviser, John Boultbee, also faces one new count of wire fraud in addition to the eight fraud counts he was charged with last month. Charges brought against co-defendants Peter Atkinson, Mark Kipnis and the Ravelston Corp. Ltd., the Canadian company that Black used to gain control of Hollinger International, remained unchanged.

Toronto attorney Edward Greenspan, Black's lawyer, said his client was innocent.

"This is a blatant example of overreaching by the prosecutor," Greenspan said in a statement. "These latest allegations add nothing new to the indictment and, when we are given the opportunity, they will be demonstrated to be unfounded as well."