Witherspoon Released On $250K Bond With Several Pretrial Conditions

Burlington, NJ USA – February 3, 2023: Details are emerging on the arrest and conditions of release of Stanton Witherspoon, a Liberian Licensed Practical Nurse who is associated with the Nursing Education and Resource Center (NERC) in New Jersey and Siena College in Florida in the alleged “Nursing Diploma” Scheme.
Witherspoon and others have been indicted by a Florida grand Jury and accused of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud in a fraudulent scheme where they sold thousands of fake nursing diplomas worth over $100 million dollars in a scheme that allowed some aspiring nurses to forego the required training to become licensed nurses.
According to court documents seen by African Star, Witherspoon was arrested on January 25, 2023, in New Jersey and appeared by video link in Florida later that day to be apprised of his rights, charges and penalties against him. He waived the reading of the indictment itself.
He applied for an unsecured bond of $250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars) for release which was granted by the court with conditions. Mrs. Lawlor Witherspoon, the spouse, took custody of the defendant after his release on January 25th.
Conditions of Release
Witherspoon was ordered to submit to Pretrial Services and surrender his passport and all travel documents. Travel is restricted to the New Jersey area unless otherwise approved by Pretrial Services. He is not to possess firearms, use alcohol excessively, nor use or unlawfully possess narcotics.
Witherspoon, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Spoon Group of Companies, which owns several media houses in the West African country of Liberia, must maintain wearing a Global Positioning System (GPS) ankle monitor which service he must pay for. The GPS monitor is satellite guided and used by federal authorities to track his movements as he awaits trial.
The accused was ordered to report to the U.S. Marshall’s office as directed and is restricted from seeking employment with the Nursing Education Resource Center (NERC) in Delaware and Siena College in Florida. The two institutions are linked to the fraudulent scheme alleged by the U.S. Department of Justice in the criminal case.
“… v) Defendant to turn in handgun to appropriate NJ authorities by noon on 1/26/2023 as set forth on the record on 1/25/23. Defendant shall provide verification to Pretrial Services that the handgun has been removed from the home and turned to appropriate NJ authorities. Defendant shall also turn surrender all firearm permits and firearm purchasers identification cards to Pretrial Services by noon on 1/26/23…,” conditions for release of Witherspoon stipulated.
According to the court, “…Violating any of the foregoing conditions of release may result in the immediate issuance of a warrant for your arrest, a revocation of your release, an order of detention, a forfeiture of any bond, and a prosecution for contempt of court and could result in imprisonment or fine or both…”
On Thursday, defense attorney Annabelle Nadler of Florida filed her appearance with the court to represent Witherspoon in the criminal case.. He has an Initial Appearance Hearing on February 9, 2023, in the court’s Fort Lauderdale Division in Florida. The defendants are facing long jail sentences, if convicted. No plea has been entered yet against the charges.
Under U.S. laws all the defendants are presumed innocent of the charges unless found guilty in court.
Meantime, the daily social media opinion talk show on SpoonTV which is hosted by Witherspoon continues with other panelists hosting. There has been no discussion on the show of the legal woes of the main host Witherspoon who has indicated that he is following advice of his lawyers to refrain from speaking publicly about his criminal case in the U.S. He did promise to do so at the appropriate time later.
Case title is USA v. Witherspoon, et al filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida (Fort Lauderdale) on January 13, 2023.
Source: African Star
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