A detention hearing for impostor attorney Howard Kieffer was postponed Friday because a lawyer in the federal public defender’s office may be a material witness against Kieffer and lawyers in the office can’t represent him.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Craig B. Shaffer delayed the case until Wednesday in hopes a defense lawyer who does not have a conflict can be appointed.
Kieffer is accused of making false statements, mail fraud and contempt of court and faces up to 35 years in federal prison and $1.25 million in fines.
In May 2008, Kieffer was hired to represent Gwen Bergman, an Aspen woman who was later convicted of trying to have her son’s father killed.
But before Kieffer took over Bergman’s case, she had brief representation by a federal public defender who may have later had contact with Kieffer about the case.
Bergman is appealing her conviction based on ineffective counsel.
Court records show Kieffer represented at least 16 clients in 10 different jurisdictions for about a decade before his scheme was revealed.
He is serving a 51-month prison term related to the scheme.
