With their story., the Freitekh family in Charlotte has stunned the world. The pain they have endured and suffered over something they did not do is outrageous.
Originally from Jerusalem, this family of seven daughters, their brother, and parents who come from two different backgrounds made the move over fifteen years ago. They abandoned hundreds of millions of dollars in assets and businesses in Israel to live a peaceful life in Charlotte.
Tarik Freitekh received a bachelor’s degree in architecture, as well as a second one in film and video production. He is a member of several nonprofit organizations, including Seeds of Peace and ANRWA. In addition to his successful businesses, he has founded one of the most i influential labels, production studios and manufacturing firms. As for Izzat Freitekh, the father, he founded a chain of restaurants, food packaging operations, and a food catering business, as well as other acts of kindness throughout the world.
The Charlotte, NC business owner and his son were falsely charged for obtaining a Covid PPP loan on December 17th, 2020
Having been through a lot for over a year, this family has nearly lost a loved one due to these false allegations. The seven sisters, their brother, the mother, and father have been dealing with a lot as a result of these false allegations.
In addition to not applying for the PPP loan as The Western District of NC attorney has alleged, the law-abiding father and son were deemed eligible for larger loan amounts for their well-established businesses.
‘Case text’ indicates the trial will start in January 2022, and the Freitekh’s legal team is considered one of the best in North Carolina. Below is some information about the attorneys.
Legendary trail attorney Stephen P. Lindsay
Stephen P. Lindsay
Steve is a graduate of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina where he graduated with Honors in Criminal Justice. Attending on both a football and baseball scholarship, Steve was also the recipient of a Dana Scholarship for academic excellence. Steve attended law school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where he graduated with Honors. While in law school, Steve was a member of the Holderness Moot Court and was one of the directors of the Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition.
Steve began his law career as an associate with the law firm of Elmore and Powell in Asheville where he lasted an incredible 10 months. With a handful of cases, and a positive attitude, Steve started his own law firm and has been running things that way ever since. He is presently in practice with Kerry Sutton and they have offices in Durham and Asheville, North Carolina.
Steve has been involved in several noteworthy cases over the years. Prior to law school he worked with lawyers in Raleigh on US v. McDonald, a well-known case concerning a military doctor who was convicted of murdering his wife and children. Not long after that, Steve worked in the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office while the Klan/Nazi trial was going on. This involved a march in the streets of Greensboro that erupted into a violent gun battle. In one of his earliest cases, Steve was trial and appellate counsel in United States v. Ross & Silvers, 844 F.2d 187 (4th Cir. 1988), used as Key Case for “What Constitutes ‘Counterfeit’ Obligation or Security of United States Within Statutory Provisions Setting Forth Criminal Penalty for Uttering or Dealing in Counterfeit Obligations or Securities,” 99 A.L.R. Fed. 243 (1990).
In more recent years, Steve has handled several high-profile murder cases. State v. Lippard involved two young men who murdered six people including two grandparents, two parents and a young child. Through the efforts of Steve and his co-counsel, Mr. Lippard avoided death sentences. Steve worked with Judy Clark on the Eric Rudolph case involving multiple bombings in the southeast, with Kerry Sutton on the Mike Peterson murder case in Durham (an author accused of bludgeoning his wife to death), and on US v. Locust, a federal trial in which the defendant was tried for the murder of a Park Ranger (government sought death but withdrew request at sentencing phase). Steve and Kerry Sutton successfully argued for the removal of the elected District Attorney in Durham, North Carolina. Tracey Cline, who replaced Mike Nifong of the infamous Duke Lacrosse cases, made numerous disparaging remarks about a local judge which triggered the action. Only once before in North Carolina history has an elected district attorney been ordered out of office.
Steve devotes between six and eight weeks a year to training programs, lectures and keynote addresses. He is a faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College (since 1996), at the Defender Advocacy Institute (University of Dayton Law School since 1998), at the Federal Defender Trial Skills Institute (Case Western Law School since 2008), at the Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy, and for Bill Daniels Trial Skills College (annual training for Georgia Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys). Steve has published several articles including “Cross Examination in Capital Cases: May I have some … uh … sprinkles. Yes, some sprinkles,” THE CHAMPION (April 2001); “Storytelling: Why We Do It and How To Do It Better,” THE CHAMPION (December 1999); “Do You Hear What I Hear? Demonstrative Evidence Makes A Difference,” THE CHAMPION (June 1998); and “Prosecutorial Abuse of Peremptory Challenges in Death Penalty Cases,” Campbell University Law Review, Fall, 1985 (cited by United States Supreme Court in Gray v. Mississippi, 481 U.S. 648, n. 19 (1987)).
Steve is a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDL); and a Life Member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (GACDL). He is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the North Carolina Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina, in the United States District Courts for Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and Supreme Court of the United States.
W. Rob Heroy
W. ROB HEROY
Rob Heroy (en espanol) solves problems. He believes that standing up to the Government provides his clients with the best possible results. He is aggressive and has significant trial experience in state and federal court. He left a prominent Charlotte law firm to join Goodman Carr as a partner in January of 2012. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.
Rob represents clients in criminal matters in state and federal courts. He handles high-stakes criminal matters such as white collar criminal charges and investigations, often involving millions or billions of dollars, large-scale drug trafficking conspiracies, weapons violations, serious assaults, and homicides. He has tried dozens of jury trials and does not shy away from trying a case if it is necessary.
His work also frequently involves representing individuals and companies who are the subject of investigations who want to know their legal options and whether steps can be taken early on to protect themselves. In many cases, he has kept his clients from being charged, and their names from ever seeing a news reel.
His cases have been prominently featured in media including the New York Times, the BBC, L.A. Times, MSNBC, CNN, the Charlotte Observer, and others. He was recently recognized in a novel by a nationally recognized journalist for his assistance in contributing to the knowledge of prosecution of organized crime in the Charlotte area. He provided commentary to the BBC for the El Chapo trial, as well as the New York Times.
He is experienced in state and federal criminal appeals, and in post-conviction relief. He has had success overturning decades-long sentences for clients. For example, he obtained reversal of a client’s 35-year sentence based on insufficient evidence of the client’s knowledge of criminal wrongdoing from the N.C Court of Appeals. In 2019, he obtained reversal of a synthetic drug conspiracy conviction based on improper venue. In 2018, he overturned a 50-year murder sentence based on the ineffective assistance of the client’s trial lawyer, and overturned another conviction on direct appeal where the client had not been properly advised of his rights to counsel. He obtained a 100-month sentence reduction on remand for another State client, and obtained a remand for resentencing from the Fourth Circuit for a 2-year reduction for another client (read more). He has scores of other victories where cases have been overturned on appeal or when challenged in post-conviction proceedings.
He has a number of other exciting appellate challenges working their way through the courts including a habeas corpus challenge to the immigration detention policies in North Carolina, where the ACLU and Just Futures have joined the litigation, as well as a First Amendment challenge to our jury intimidation statute in which renowned legal blogger Eugene Volokh is arguing with Mr. Heroy. The last case involves the defense of an attorney where Rob is challenging her conviction based on arbitrary enforcement by federal law enforcement. In this case and dozens of other cases, he is the lawyer that lawyers call when they need assistance, either with criminal charges or investigations or with disciplinary proceedings.
Rob also litigates immigration matters in federal district court and federal courts of appeal. In some cases, he has obtained court orders compelling immigration to grant relief to individuals or release them from detention, and in others he has obtained relief by appealing arbitrary immigration decisions to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has presented at continuing legal educations seminars before other attorneys on the subject of immigration law and has been accepted as an expert witness in the area of immigration law in North Carolina Superior Court.
Business North Carolina Magazine selected Rob to the Legal Elite every year since 2010, an award in which Business North Carolina polls attorneys to vote for the top 3 percent of attorneys in their field. North Carolina Super Lawyers has recognized him on multiple occasions as a Rising Star in criminal defense. Martindale Hubbell has rated him as an AV Preeminent lawyer, their highest rating for legal ability. Martindale also lists him as having a 4.9 out of 5.0 client rating. He has a 10 out of 10 attorney rating on Avvo.com. He was selected to the Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute in 2011.
Rob is the president of the Mecklenburg Country Criminal Defense Bar. He is on the Board of Directors for the Mecklenburg County Bar Foundation and an executive committee member. He previously taught advanced criminal law at the Charlotte School of Law. He also puts on the annual criminal law CLE for the North Carolina Bar Association. He has received pro bono awards and recognition over the last several years.
Outside of the law, he was a finalist in the 2010 World Series of Poker. He is married to Katie Heroy, and they have three little boys, Linus, Arthur, and Leo and love spending time in the North Carolina mountains. He is also the founding member of The Adventure Club, which explores the world and whose members are limited to Rob, Katie, Linus, Arthur, and Leo.
Recent Awards & Recognitions
Recognized as “Rising Star” for 2019 in the category of criminal defense
Recognized on the 2018 list of the Legal Elite by Business North Carolina Magazine
Recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers as a Rising Star
Recognized as one of Charlotte’s “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina Magazine
Selected to Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute
Received Pro Bono Honors from North Carolina’s Legal Aid
“AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell
NACDL White Collar Defense College
Michael J. Greene
Michael J. Greene has been a with Goodman, Carr since September 2003, and is currently the managing partner. Attorney Greene practices criminal defense in both Federal and State Court. In State Court, he handles cases ranging from traffic matters and DWIs to serious felonies including drug trafficking, sexual assault, vehicular homicide and murder. In Federal Court, Attorney Greene represents individuals that have been federally indicted in the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina for drug trafficking and conspiracies, weapons charges, housing and mortgage fraud and white collar crimes. Mr. Greene holds a license to practice law in the State Courts of North Carolina and Federal Court for the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina. Attorney Greene worked as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s office (Charlotte, NC). As an ADA, Attorney Greene worked in both District and Superior Court prosecuting a large volume misdemeanor and felony cases. He conducted hundreds of bench trials while in District Court and tried several jury trials in Superior Court. Attorney Greene is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in the area of State Criminal Law. Each year since 2004, Attorney Greene has been named as one of Charlotte’s “LEGAL ELITE” in the field of Criminal Defense by Business North Carolina Magazine. He was named in 2009 as a “Rising Star Under the Age of 40” and in 2011, as one of the “Rising Stars” in the field of criminal defense by Charlotte Magazine. In 2010, Attorney Greene was named “Outstanding Panel Member of the Year” for legal services rendered to clients who sought legal representation through the Mecklenburg County Bar Lawyer Referral Service in the area of criminal law.
In 2014, Business North Carolina Magazine recognized Attorney Greene as both a “Legal Elite” lawyer and as the top vote recipient, voted by his peers, in the area of criminal defense. (see Rewards & Recognitions). In 2015, he was inducted into the Legal Elite Hall of Fame. Attorney Greene was also named a 2015 Super Lawyer in the area of Criminal Defense by Super Lawyer Magazine. In that same issue, he was voted as one of the Top 100 Attorneys in North Carolina. He received this same recognition in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2017-2020, Super Lawyer Magazine has named Attorney Greene as one of the Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte, NC.
Personal Information
Attorney Greene is originally from Springfield, Ohio, but has resided in Charlotte, North Carolina since 1999. Attorney Greene received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH) and his Juris Doctorate from The Wake Forest University School of Law (Winston Salem, NC).
In addition to the practice of law, Attorney Greene is happily married to his wife Anna. He and his wife enjoy spending time together with their daughter and their dog, Benson.
Attorney Greene is presently a co-chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Judicial Nominating Committee and formerly served the Mecklenburg County Bar as a member of the Bar Grievance Committee, as a Judge with the Mecklenburg County Teen Court Program and as a youth advisor with the Mecklenburg County “Lunch with a Lawyer” Program.
In November of 2019, Attorney Greene was selected and sworn in to serve on the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners.
Attorney Greene serves his community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Humane Society of Charlotte, on the Board of Directors for Towne Bank, on the Board of Directors for Lawyer’s Mutual, on the Board of Directors for Sugar Creek Charter School, as a member of Charlotte’s Good Fellows Club and as a member of the Charlotte Leatherheads. He has also appeared as a guest columnist with The Charlotte Observer in the “Talk to a Lawyer” portion of the Business section.
Recent Awards & Recognitions
Named one of the top 25 lawyers in Charlotte, NC 2020 by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named 2020 “Super Lawyer” in the category of DWI/DUI by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina by Super Lawyers Magazine
Named one of the top 25 lawyers in Charlotte, NC 2019 by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named 2019 “Super Lawyer” in the category of DWI/DUI by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named one of the top 25 lawyers in Charlotte, NC 2018 by Super Lawyer Magazine
Recognized by Business North Carolina as 2018 Hall of Fame in area of Criminal Defense
Named one of the top 25 lawyers in Charlotte, NC 2017 by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named 2017 “Super Lawyer” and one of the top 100 lawyers in the state by Super Lawyer Magazine
2016 Vice-chair of the Judicial Nominating Committee for Mecklenburg County Bar
Named 2016 “Super Lawyer” and one of the top 100 lawyers in the state by Super Lawyer Magazine
Named 2015 “Super Lawyer” and one of the top 100 lawyers in the state by Super Lawyer Magazine
Recognized by Business North Carolina as “2014 Legal Elite” in the area of Criminal Defense
Recognized by North Carolina State Bar as a State Criminal Defense Specialist
Recognized as one of Charlotte’s “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina Magazine
Selected as one of the “Rising Stars” by Charlotte Magazine
Named “Outstanding Panel Member of the Year” by Mecklenburg County Bar
It is impossible to imagine how painful and unjust it must have been for the Freitekh family to go through all that pain for something they didn’t do.
Our best wishes are with these lawyers and their team as they seek justice for the innocent Freitekh family.
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