WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – South Florida lobbyist Alan Koslow pleaded not guilty Thursday morning in federal court, but he wasn't talking about his alleged crime of money laundering.
After the hearing, Local 10 Newsasked Koslow about the conspiracy charge, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Koslow simply looked into the camera and said nothing while his attorney, Michael Orenstein, repeated that his client, who posted a $50,000 bond to walk free, had no comment.
The lobbyist, who was once dubbed the king of Hollywood for the power he held in that city, allegedly laundered more than $200,000 in cash that he believed was derived from illegal gambling and the sale of narcotics and fake Viagra pills, according to federal documents.
The money actually came from the U.S. government and was given to him by undercover FBI agents in a sting operation on Koslow, who was well-known in political circles for representing high-rise developers, private schools, and gambling interests, including Pompano Park Racing.
All indications are that Koslow is cooperating with the feds.
He was initially taken down by the feds in late 2013, so speculation is running rampant as to what he has been doing during the nearly three years between his apprehension and the announcement of the criminal charge.
Federal prosecutors offered no clue as to whether or not more cases are to come during Koslow's Thursday appearance in court.