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>> CHICAGO SUNTIMES - January 12, 2001
>>
>> Threats to attorneys may bring probe
>>
>> BY TAMMY WILLIAMSON BUSINESS REPORTER
>>
>>
>> The U.S. attorney's office will consider a request by a federal
magistrate
>> to investigate "threatening" letters sent anonymously to a local attorney
>> and other executives assigned to find the $35 million that is missing
from
>> Intercounty National Title Insurance Co.
>>
>> The "ominous" and sometimes "obscene" letters, which in at least one case
>> threatened "adverse personal and professional consequences," have been
>sent
>> in recent months to a Chicago attorney and executives from Fidelity
>National
>> Title Insurance Co. following their attempts to recover missing homeowner
>> escrow money from the now-shuttered Intercounty.
>>
>> In the latest development in an increasingly complicated and sordid
>ordeal,
>> Federal Magistrate Geraldine Soat Brown this week asked the U.S.
>attorney's
>> office to investigate the dozen or so letters sent to executives of
>> Fidelity, the trustee appointed by state regulators after Intercounty was
>> shut down in June.
>>
>> Chicago attorney Edwin Thomas, who represents Fidelity in a civil lawsuit
>> against Intercounty, the owners and related business people that is
>pending
>> in U.S. District Court, also received letters, court documents said.
>>
>> The magistrate ordered the letters to be sealed from the public because
of
>> their inflammatory nature.
>>
>> "We are aware of the magistrate's referral of this matter to the U.S.
>> attorney's office," said U.S. attorney spokesman Randall Samborn, who
said
>> his office was already aware of the threatening letters. "We will review
>> this referral, and take whatever action, if any, we determine is
>> appropriate."
>>
>> According to the court document, Thomas last month received a letter that
>> said Intercounty owners Susan Peloza and Terry Cornell, who are among
>those
>> being sued by Fidelity, had valuable information and documents about the
>> role Stewart Title Guaranty Co., a Texas company, played in the missing
>> money at Intercounty.
>>
>> According to the lawsuit filed in September, Stewart was an underwriter
>for
>> Intercounty that allegedly received transfers from Intercounty to cover
>> investment losses.
>>
>> Fidelity has also said it is cooperating with a criminal investigation
>into
>> the missing money.
>>
>> The letter received by Thomas said he should initiate settlement talks
>with
>> the attorneys for Peloza and Cornell in exchange for their information,
or
>> face "personal and professional consequences." Thomas, according to the
>> lawsuit, said he contacted their attorneys, who denied knowledge of the
>> letter, and asked them to have their clients provide any additional
>> information they might have regarding Intercounty and Stewart.
>>
>> Within the last few days, similarly threatening letters have been sent to
>> Thomas and Fidelity Executive Vice President Ronald Maudsley. Another
>senior
>> officer, Patrick Stone, and Fidelity Chief Executive William Foley have
>also
>> received threatening letters, court documents said.
>>
>> At least some of the letters have been postmarked "south suburban
>Illinois,"
>> court records said.
>>
>> When asked if the letters threatened physical harm, Thomas replied "worse
>> than that," and declined further comment.
>>
>
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