WATERGATE (CONTNUED)

I managed to get the AUSA and a couple of the FBI agents that originally investigated the case against my client's father to meet with us in my office.  We met right after the hearing before the U.S. Magistrate on monday afternoon. During that hearing,  I advised the Magistrate of the meeting and requested another hearing time as soon as her schedule would allow to report the status of the case and our ongoing discussions and negotiations.  I took the opportunity at the hearing to provide the Magistrate with my version of the events that led to the arrest of my client.  The AUSA did not dispute any of the facts or circumstances.  I also took the opportunity of the meeting in my office to bring in an excellent lunch delivered in my conference room.  I knew that both the AUSA and the FBI agents would initially refuse anything but coffee or water.  I also knew that they would not be able to resist the amazing aroma of the fine Italian food from Cafe Piccolo and had the food waiting for us after the hearing.  The combination of the food and the facts, or lack of facts against my client, seemed to do the trick.  I had to figure out how to resolve the case in a way that didn't require multiple trips from Toronto to Tampa, but I also needed to find and meet with the SAIC (special agent in charge).  She was a relatively new agent and not originally involved with the investigation or prosecution of the case many years before.  The fact that she was assigned to be the SAIC bode well for her career with the FBI but maybe not so well with me trying to work the case out to the advantage of my client.  The AUSA and the SAIC were key to resolving the case and the SAIC had proved to be elusive and was evading my attempts to bring her into the discussions.  My client and his new wife were still staying with us even though I was able to have him ROR'd with travel restrictions.  They had no money to stay anyplace else and certainly no money to travel back and forth to resolve or retry the case.  Very late on tuesday afternoon, I received a call from the SAIC asking me to meet her in my office building parking lot.  I didn't ask any questions about the strange place to meet and quickly got into the elevator and headed down to the parking garage. 

(to be continued)