The feds’ key witness in the NYPD bribery probe has high-tailed it out of New York a month after it surfaced that he allegedly lured some deep-pocketed pals into yet another Ponzi scheme.
Jona Rechnitz a donor to Mayor de Blasio who will eventually take the stand for the government in the police bribery scandal has packed his bags and moved back to his native California.
Rechnitz’s move comes after accusations that he recruited wealthy friends including a diamond dealer and several Wall Streeters into a reputed Ponzi scheme run by former city teacher Jason Nissen.
Nissen, the CEO of National Event Co. in Manhattan, was busted in May for allegedly running a $70 million Ponzi scheme involving “Hamilton,” Super Bowl and Adele tickets.
When Nissen was busted, Rechnitz had already been named as a recruiter for a Ponzi scheme involving Harlem restaurateur Hamlet Peralta.
Rechnitz’s pals stuck by him at the time of Peralta’s arrest because the feds said Rechnitz was a victim in some ways in that case, too.
Then last month, documents filed in court suggested that Rechnitz also may have been steering his rich pals to Nissen.
It’s unclear what Rechnitz knew about Nissen’s alleged Ponzi scheme.