WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A convicted swindler who lured CIA agent Edwin Wilson into a federal trap was fined $831,000 in absentia today for defrauding a businessman of $415,000 in a land deal.
The fugitive, Ernest Keiser, 65, vanished Jan. 31 and investigators said they believe he fled to West Germany.
Prosecutor Frank Castaldi urged Judge Gerard Delaney to sentence Keiser in absentia to up to seven years in jail but Keiser's attorney William Aronwald argued his client had helped the federal government and should not be ordered to jail.
Aronwald also argued the swindled investor was a smart businessman who entered the deal with Keiser with his eyes open.
Delaney agreed a jail term would be useless because he doubts Keiser will ever be seen in the country again, but imposed the fine, telling Castaldi to find whatever assets he could of Keiser's to get the money from.
Keiser helped lure Wilson from Libya to the United States in 1982 with the same property investment scam.
Wilson, since sentenced to over 60 years in jail for arms smuggling, allegedly tried to hire a hitman to kill Keiser.
Keiser also claimed to be working to find fugitive financier Robert Vesco and Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.
