FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 3 (UPI) -- An Italian-born wine dealer in Florida with alleged Mafia connections was sentenced to four years Wednesday for agreeing to help an FBI informant launder money.
Roberto Settineri, 42, of Miami Beach, was set up by Scott Rothstein, the Fort Lauderdale lawyer who has admitted to a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, The Miami Herald reported. Rothstein secretly recorded conversations in which Settineri agreed to help him destroy documents.
Settineri pleaded guilty in August on his lawyer's advice. He faced up to 20 years in prison if he was convicted of conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge James Cohn called the sentence agreed on by federal prosecutors and defense lawyer Jeffrey Weiner a "fair resolution."
Rothstein pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy and racketeering. He was sentenced to 50 years in June.
Because he is in the Witness Protection Program, Rothstein is being held in a secret location.
Settineri, a U.S. citizen, also faces charges in Italy. After his surrender last year, Rothstein reportedly told FBI agents he knew Settineri, leading to the sting.
