2/13/13 - A federal judge has issued an order to allow a contested piece of evidence to be admitted in the fraud trial of a Livingston County investment manager. John Bravata is accused of misleading investors as he collected millions of dollars from then at BBC Equities. He denies any fraud and says he was taking legitimate stakes in real estate that simply turned sour during the recession. His trial began on January 28th in the Eastern Michigan United Stated District Court. On February 7th prosecutors attempted to enter a video into evidence. It was produced in 2009 and depicts an interview of Bravata as a promotional advertisement for investors, encouraging them to contact the BBC Equities website. The defense objected, saying the video was inadmissible because it had never been shown to potential investors, and at first Judge Paul Borman agreed. However, after examining the video, the Borman decided that the video was relevant to the case and was admissible under the rules of evidence. Bravataâs trial continues today. (TD)
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