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Risoldi matriarch held for trial on witness-intimidation charges

A judge ruled Thursday that Claire Risoldi, the Bucks County matriarch already accused of multimillion-dollar insurance fraud, should be held for trial on witness-intimidation charges.

Claire Risoldi
Claire RisoldiRead more

A judge ruled Thursday that Claire Risoldi, the Bucks County matriarch already accused of multimillion-dollar insurance fraud, should be held for trial on witness-intimidation charges.

"There's enough evidence to go to a jury," District Judge Gary Gambardella said after the six-hour preliminary hearing in Doylestown, and after rejecting a defense request that he recuse himself.

State prosecutors allege that Risoldi used a subpoena, issued by her attorney, Jack McMahon, to influence witnesses who testified in the grand jury investigation that led to Risoldi's arrest on fraud charges in January 2015.

Buckingham Township Police Lt. John Landis testified Thursday that he found the subpoena for his personnel file "disturbing." Landis appeared before the grand jury and was expected to testify against her.

State Deputy Attorney General Matthew Connolly said the subpoena had to be viewed in the context of Risoldi's status in the county. "She had the intent to harass and intimidate," he said.

McMahon, who called the ruling "unbelievable," has said attorneys wanted to look at Landis' personnel file because they suspected that he received a promotion in return for his testimony.

Risoldi is charged with conspiring with family members to collect $20 million in inflated insurance claims after three fires at her New Hope estate.

Until being jailed for a few days last week, she had been out on bail since her initial arrest, and in the last 18 months prosecutors have repeatedly accused her of witness intimidation.

The fraud trial has been delayed by a motion from prosecutors that Judge Thomas Gavin remove himself.

Gambardella rejected McMahon's motion that he recuse himself because of past associations with Risoldi.

gtoohey@phillynews.com 610-313-8105