Gold trader Reza Zarrab’s Turkish lawyer implicated in guard bribe case

NEW YORK

A Turkish lawyer was alleged in court papers to have provided thousands of dollars to corrupt a prison guard into smuggling cellphones and alcohol to the Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who was awaiting trial, according to charges lodged on April 5 against the Manhattan federal prison guard and comments by a lawyer who represented Zarrab.

Allegations against prison guard Victor Casado are consistent with Zarrab’s testimony that a guard gave him special privileges while he awaited trial in a case that rattled relations between Turkey and the United States, the Associated Press reported.

Zarrab eventually pleaded guilty and became a cooperator in an Iran sanctions case that strained relations between Turkey and the United States.

He testified at the trial of a Turkish banker that he paid $45,000 in bribes to a guard. He also testified he helped Iran evade U.S. economic sanctions with billions of dollars in proceeds from oil and gas sales.

Casado’s lawyer declined comment on charges his client accepted over $45,000 in bribes.