The Ring

An Arizona attorney has consented to disbarment in the wake of his guilty plea to criminal charges.

Huffpost Miami had details:

Kim Rothstein’s former attorney pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to help her hide more than $1 million in jewelry from federal authorities.

Scott Saidel took off his designer eyeglasses and bowed his head after admitting his role in the doomed scheme put together after the Ponzi scheme of Kim’s husband, Scott Rothstein, spectacularly collapsed.

Saidel, Kim Rothstein and one of Kim Rothstein’s friends hid the jewels, including a 12-carat diamond ring, from the federal government, attempting to secretly sell the pieces, according to Saidel’s plea agreement. Saidel also acknowledged they plotted to persuade the imprisoned Scott Rothstein to lie under oath about the ring’s whereabouts.

Saidel faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced June 7 for conspiring to commit money laundering, obstruct justice and tamper with a witness. Kim Rothstein and her friend, Stacie Weisman, are set to enter their own guilty pleas in the case Friday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Saidel, 45, told U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenbaum he expects to lose his law license. A Florida Bar official said Wednesday that a guilty plea to a felony charge sets into motion the suspension process.

The Boca Raton attorney already has paid the federal government about $65,000 and he agreed Wednesday to forfeit an additional $2,500 in cash, four expensive pens and a pair of mother of pearl, diamond and sapphire cuff links.

The attorney also practiced in Florida. (Mike Frisch)