$100 million New Jersey deli fugitive Peter Coker Jr. agrees to extradition to U.S. from Thailand

A former fugitive needed on prison inventory manipulation prices associated to a money-losing New Jersey deli as soon as valued at $100 million has agreed to be extradited from Thailand to the USA, Thai authorities stated.

Peter Coker Jr., 54, was arrested final week by Thai police within the resort space of Phuket, lower than 4 months after he, his father, Peter Coker Sr., and an affiliate, James Patten, have been indicted in New Jersey federal courtroom.

The costs relate to 2 publicly traded firms, Hometown Worldwide, which owned solely a modest, now-closed deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey, and E-Waste, a shell firm that had no belongings.

Coker Jr., who most just lately was identified to be dwelling and dealing as a businessman in Hong Kong, is being held in a Bangkok jail for the following a number of weeks earlier than his anticipated extradition, the Related Press reported Friday.

Thai police, in a press release, stated Coker Jr., who’s an American most just lately identified to be dwelling in Hong Kong, had entered the nation with a passport issued by the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis. That nation sells citizenship in trade for investments there, the AP famous.

“Mr. Coker Jr. voluntarily consented to be extradited to the U.S., which has simplified the courtroom’s authorized course of,” Teerat Limpayaraya, a prosecutor in Thailand’s Legal professional Basic’s workplace, informed the AP.

“We have now to finish a 30-day ready interval as required by Thai regulation earlier than sending him again,” stated Teerat.

The prosecutor stated additionally informed the AP that Coker Jr. “was visibly frail when he was taken in and informed us that he wants medical remedy for his liver illness. We consider that he entered Thailand with a attainable plan to settle right here.”

U.S. prosecutors accuse the Cokers and Patten of a scheme to bid up the worth of shares of Hometown Worldwide and E-Waste, each of which had excessive market capitalizations regardless of holding little if any belongings of worth, to make them extra enticing to personal corporations as merger candidates. Each firms later discovered merger companions.

Coker Jr. had served as chairman of Hometown Worldwide.

Whereas Pattan and Coker Sr., have made courtroom appearances since their arrest, Coker Jr. was believed to be at giant till his arrest final week.

A spokesman for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in New Jersey, which is prosecuting the case, confirmed Coker Jr.’s apprehension in Thailand, however declined to remark additional.