Ex-Federal Prosecutor Convicted on Charge of Obstructing Justice

A former federal prosecutor who now runs a private practice in Studio City was convicted Saturday of obstruction of justice for instructing witnesses in a massive fraud case to lie to a grand jury.

Chester L. Brown was convicted of helping witnesses tailor their testimony, but another attorney on trial with him, Fred Darvey, was acquitted.

Brown, 47, of Tarzana, was convicted of coaching several people to deny their links to George Scordel, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this month for masterminding an $8-million fraud scheme from the San Fernando Valley. Brown faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced July 11 by U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter Jr. He also faces possible disbarment.

Brown was convicted of one count each of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, but he was acquitted of 10 other counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and causing others to give perjured testimony. Darvey, 46, of Encino, was acquitted of all six similar counts against him.

They contended that they did nothing wrong and were vigorously representing their clients. They said their comments were slanted by Scordel’s ex-wife, Suzanne Scordel, who turned government informant and recorded some of their comments on tape.

At the time Brown and Darvey were giving their legal advice in the spring of 1986, Scordel and his associates were under investigation by a federal grand jury. More than a dozen people were indicted and pleaded guilty in the case. Three others went to trial. One was acquitted and two--including Scordel--were convicted.

Brown, who prosecuted music and film piracy cases for the U.S. attorney’s office from 1971-1975, handles criminal defense work in private practice in Studio City. Darvey runs a Westwood practice of civil and criminal cases.

Scordel found people to front for him in at least nine businesses, ordering $8 million worth of merchandise on bogus credit between 1981 and 1986. He sold it quickly, closed up shop and moved on to open other businesses before merchants who tried to collect realized his credit references were phony and his firms were bankrupt.

Brown became involved when Scordel, learning several of his associates had been tapped by the grand jury, sought legal counsel.