The man accused by the FBI of stealing hundreds of book manuscripts may not face trial, under an agreement between prosecutors and his lawyers.
Filippo Bernardini, Italian citizen who worked with UK publisher Simon & amp; Schuster was arrested in the United States in January, with the FBI alleging that he “acted, defrauded, and attempted to defraud hundreds of individuals” in obtaining unpublished works and drafts. The indictment said Bernardini had registered more than 160 fake internet domains to impersonate others since 2016.
Bernardini, charged with wire fraud and serious identity theft, was due to appear in court in early July. In June, however, the judge in his case, U.S. district court judge Colleen McMahon, agreed to adjourn the appearance so that prosecutors could consider a deferred prosecution application, according to Publishers Marketplace.
A deferred prosecution agreement is usually used in cases of fraud or financial crime. It is a market in which a prosecution is conditionally suspended as long as the defendant complies with the requirements of the agreement within a set timeframe. It is overseen by a judge, and Bernardini may have to pay fines or compensation, or enact other measures. The judge adjourned the case until September 10.
Bernardini had pleaded not guilty to the two previous charges, the seller reported.
Hundreds of manuscripts were stolen over a five-year period, by authors, agents, editors, scouts and even judges for the Booker prize among the victims of phishing scams. Among those targeted were manuscripts of novels by Margaret Atwood, Sally Rooney and actress Ethan Hawke.
Small changes to email addresses affected the publishing figures, such as using “r” and “n” to make “m”, as in @ penguinrandornhouse.com. But none of the manuscripts ever went on sale, and no ransom claim was ever filed, leaving many skeptics as to the reasons behind those behind the phishing scam.
Upon his arrest, Bernardini was working as a rights coordinator at Simon & amp; Schuster RA. The company suspended him after his arrest, and Simon & amp; Schuster was not named in the indictment nor was he charged with any wrongdoing.
