Montvel-Cohen makes plea deal

Guam media executive Evan Montvel-Cohen, also one of the founders of Air America, pleaded no contest in Circuit Court late last week to a charge of first-degree theft.

The no-contest plea was part of a deal with prosecutors who agreed to dismiss other charges of credit card fraud, forgery, money laundering and second-degree theft.

In return, Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Van Marter said his office will not seek jail time for Montvel-Cohen if he pays about $30,000 in restitution to a former business associate here.

The money must be paid before Montvel-Cohen is sentenced July 28 by Circuit Judge Randal Lee. If the money isn't repaid by sentencing, Van Marter said his office can ask for a jail sentence of up to 18 months.

Montvel-Cohen was accused of stealing more than $62,000 from a Waimanalo landscaping firm, Ultimate Innovations, where he worked as a business manager in 2005.

Many here may remember Montvel-Cohen from his brief tenure at Air America, where he left prior to the unveiling of a massive controversy over where he and his partner, Rex Sorenson, got their financial backing from. Turns out that, in the capacity of his executive position at the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx, Cohen acquired loans from the nonprofit in order to help fulfil his share of the investment.

Now, don't let any of those wingnut pundits fool you with their lies and spin. Air America didn't loot any Bronx youth centers, and neither did Franken, though they'd like you to actually believe that. This was all Montvel-Cohen, and his most recent escapades give further proof to that.

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