Sotiris “Ted” Planzos assists clients with white-collar matters involving criminal and civil securities enforcement, complex financial fraud, money laundering, grand jury and congressional inquiries, parallel proceedings, criminal and civil RICO, corporate compliance and trial practice. He also counsels corporations and individuals in compliance matters, including Sarbanes-Oxley, the USA PATRIOT Act, and conducts internal investigations.
As a Trial Attorney, Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chief with the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for nearly a decade, Ted supervised, investigated, and prosecuted cases involving RICO, securities, mail and wire fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, extortion, and labor law violations. His efforts earned him the Assistant Attorney General Award for Special Initiative, the criminal division’s highest award.
Previously, Ted served as a Staff Attorney and Senior Counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Enforcement, where he investigated cases involving insider trading, market manipulation, and financial fraud.
Ted also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he was a member of the prosecution team in the Wedtech investigation and public corruption trial of U.S. v. Biaggi, et al. The trial resulted in the conviction of Congressman Mario Biaggi, and four others for RICO, RICO conspiracy, extortion, mail fraud, tax evasion, and perjury.
Ted began his public service career as an Assistant District Attorney for Bronx County, New York where he conducted numerous bench and jury trials and evidentiary hearings. He also conducted investigations and prosecutions involving fraud, narcotics trafficking and public corruption and was lead prosecutor in an investigation of alleged corruption involving community school board members that resulted in the conviction of board members for fraud, bribery, extortion, and grand larceny.
Additionally, Ted served as Associate Majority Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives “October Surprise” Task Force which investigated allegations that members of the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign secretly met with Iranian nationals to delay the release of American hostages being held by Iran in 1980.
