Disbarred attorney's office items to be auctioned

TAMARAC, Fla. (WSVN) -- The office of a disbarred South Florida attorney has been cleaned out. Now, furniture, electronics, pictures with high-profile people and more can be yours if the price is right.

The feds raided Scott Rothstien's South Florida law firms last year and seized 40 boxes of documents, but an impressive collection of items left behind are about to go on the auction block. "It's our local and regional Madoff-type auction," said Benny Fisher, CEO of Fisher Auction Co., referring to Bernard Madoff, a convicted scam artist involved in a similar Ponzi scheme that Rothstein is accused of pulling.

Rothstien's once budding law firm is now bankrupt. Now, a team of professionals are re-creating the disbarred lawyer's office for what's expected to be a very unique auction Saturday. "The desk from behind which he ran his empire," Fisher said while showing the piece.

Scott Rothstein is currently in federal prison, planning to plead guilty to charges connected to a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme as the remnants of his lavish lifestyle are put on display.

"Everything matched. Everything was custom-designed," said Fisher. "This is number 31 of only 88 of this pen ever made in the history of the world with this celestial design. It costs about $5,000."

Prospective bidders viewed the items Thursday. "These items, for better or worse, will become part of the political fabric of the history of Florida." Mitch Ceasar said.

From the capital to the court, Rothstein's collection of photos is a who's who of the rich, famous and powerful. They include, McCain, Spector, Lieberman, Crist, Bush, Lamberti, Marino and Mantle, just to name a few.

"The Yankee Stadium piece is very unique and also the piece over here from the Super Bowl, 37 years ago, and that's pretty unique also, so those will be two things that I'll be interested in on Saturday," said prospective buyer Mike Jula.

There's also a section of net from the Miami Heat's 2006 championship game and an actual piece of the gym floor from the University of Florida's 2007 Final Four National Championship game in Atlanta. "The faces and the signatures are very real that you see here hanging in the hall of fame or shame, as your perspective may be," said Fisher.

It's a collection even the most seasoned of auctioneers have never seen before. "It was the best money could buy, and it was a bargain because as we've learned, none of it was his," Ceasar said.

It's free to preview the items until the auction Saturday. Then participants must fork over $500 in cash. The money will go toward a winning bid. If you buy nothing, you get your money back.

Friday's preview as well as the auction both begin at 10 a.m. at the AMC Liquidators Warehouse at 3705 W. Commercial Boulevard.

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