NEW YORK — He went
from wearing a wire to working on his tan.
The shady developer who acted as a cooperating witness to
help the feds take down state Sen. Malcolm Smith, Queens City Councilman Daniel
Halloran and GOP borough bosses for an alleged bribery scheme just got back
from a two-week vacation on a private island in the Florida Keys, sources said.
While Smith, Halloran and the rest of their allegedly
crooked crew have been confined to strict bail conditions that forbid
out-of-state travel, Moses "Mark" Stern kicked back with his wife and
kids on Melody Key, a tony, solar-powered retreat that costs $10,000 per person
for a week's stay.
The island — formerly owned by the lead singer of rock band
311 — can only be accessed by boat from the larger Summerland Key, which sits
miles off the tip of Florida. Amenities include a house that accommodates up to
10 people, a hot tub, a heated pool and a catamaran.
Boaters spotted Stern having a good time on Melody's sandy
beach, according to sources. One source familiar with Melody Key said Stern,
40, was a "super" guest during his stay.
"He was really nice," the source told DNAinfo New
York.
A bankrupt businessman who owes $126 million to Citigroup
over a failed real estate deal, Stern helped Manhattan federal prosecutors
bring bribery and fraud charges against Smith, Halloran, Bronx GOP boss Joseph
Savino, Queens Republican leader Vincent Tabone and two Rockland County
officials.
Wearing a wire, Stern brokered backroom deals that involved
$80,000 in cash payoffs and a scheme to get Smith, a Queens Democrat, on the
Republican ticket for this year's mayoral race. The six defendants were
arrested April 2 and were each released on $250,000 bail.
In the criminal complaint against them Stern, of Monsey, N.Y., is never identified and only referred to as the cooperating witness, or "CW." He pleaded guilty to unknown charges in March, according to the complaint.
Contine reading: DNA info
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