Key Witness Breaks Down In Brooks Trial

Published: March 5, 2010 09:52 am EST

On Thursday, the key government witness in the trial of former horse owner David Brooks reportedly broke down in court while speaking about the illegal activities she confessed to in a prior plea-bargain arrangement

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Newsday's Robert Kessler states that Dawn Schlegel, the former Chief Financial Officer for Brooks' DHB Industries, told the court she had "committed numerous crimes...so many things that were going on that we couldn't go through it on one day."

According to the Newsday story, Schlegel's testimony indicated that Brooks approved almost all the cheques that were issued and that included the funding of his personal lifestyle and "hundreds of thousands of dollars for the training and upkeep of Brooks' horses."

Brooks and co-defendant, Sandra Hatfield, former DHB chief operating officer, have maintained their innocence throughout the trial.

While under questioning, Schlegel stated that she has "pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit tax and securities fraud and withholding evidence from the government." That plea agreement drops the maximum prison sentence from a possible 25 years to 10.

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