Lapo Elkann — rich person and grandson of late Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli — will not face charges for a November incident in which he told a family representative and the New York Police Department that he had been kidnapped.
Law enforcement sources claimed that Elkann had spent last Thanksgiving snorting cocaine, smoking marijuana, and drinking heavily with a 29-year-old escort, believing the kidnapping to be a ploy to acquire money to pay for the bender.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said today that it will not prosecute Elkann, offering no further comment, Reuters reports.
Attorney Randy Zelin said he presented information to prosecutors, who reviewed it before determining no crime had been committed. While declining to share the information provided to the court, Zelin considered earlier reports of the incident “false news” and was pleased to see his client exonerated.
“We are very fortunate the district attorney listened to us, and conducted a thorough investigation,” he said.
Elkann entered rehab immediately after the scandal. “This has been a difficult period for me, but it has also given me time to reflect quietly upon what happened and also about the future,” she said in a statement.
While Elkann no longer holds any positions at Fiat, he is on the board of directors at Ferrari — one of the companies still controlled by his family.
[Image: Ferrari]
I guess the publicity was punishment enough. Hopefully he’ll stop messing with the drugs. They’re turning his mind to mush.
Well what about the wasted man-hours. Less politically connected people would be stuck with a charge of wasting police resources.
Seems a bit reversed that those who most have the capacity to pay aren’t even being asked to pick up a bill that is always sent to poorer folk.
This bum is 39 years old. ‘Rehab’ is his get-out-of-jail-free card. We can expect more of the same in the future, unless or until he gets religion or else dies in a pool of vomit.
Religion… Sure that, some hopes and prayers and a nickle will buy him a stick of gum.
Fake news, eh? I see his attorney is picking from the “politically popular, overused, meaneigless tropes” tree.
Also, its quite ironic that no crime has been committed, but Elkann entered rehab immediately. You know, just like when I’m not hungry, but proceed immediately to the nearest restaurant.
I think the “no crime” thing refers to the fake kidnapping story. Some of the other stuff is technically a crime, but rarely prosecuted.
The immediate rehab may be exactly why he managed to avoid jail time.
“The Manhattan district attorney’s office said today that it will not prosecute Elkann, offering no further comment”
Do you want the honest answer? Because he’s rich enough to not be an easy target.
Free Fiat 500’s for the Supreme Court appointees?
“Free Fiat 500’s for the Supreme Court appointees?”
That sounds more like a threat than a bribe.
The 500 is better than you think. IF, that is, you’re willing to ignore CR.
And don’t mind lots of vibration, plastic trim coming loose or driveshaft wobble.
Though I think the big unknown is how much of that kind of fit/finish are you willing to put up with for the best sounding most fun car that isn’t a Fiesta ST.
“And don’t mind lots of vibration, plastic trim coming loose or driveshaft wobble.”
Didn’t experience any of the above with my ’14 model 500Pop. Fit and finish were better than you imply by a long shot and even that base model was more fun than you might imagine. Only reason I traded it was that I didn’t need 3 cars and I NEEDED to replace my 4×4 with something newer for long trips while keeping my existing pickup truck. That Fiat had no mechanical issues whatsoever DESPITE coming off of a rental agency fleet.
Bingo! I am very familiar with state and local courts because of my work. It works like a business designed to supplement government funding. If they have to invest substantial time and effort it’s just not worth it.
It’s a sad revolving door that levies a tax on the poor and poorly educated, while the wealthy and influential receive the benefit of the doubt at every step of the process.
I am sure the Elkann family made a very generous donation into the campaign coffers of the District Attorney.
Another example where paying cash upfront is the best way.
Is that the escort?
“An” ….not “the”
@redliner – I was referring to “the” escort that he spent the drug addled weekend with.
Ha-ha, exactly! This site badly needs to put descriptions under photos. Which one is Elkann in the photo? And more importantly, where is the photo of the escort 8)
Yeah, I thought Elkann was the pretty young thug-muffin.
If he lives long enough thug-muffin will make a great Hermann Göring look-alike.
Everyone, rich or poor, has challenges in this world. Raising children with an appreciation of reality seems to be a challenge for some wealthy folks.
Well when all you have to do is slip a little campaign donation in for your special best friend down at the country club and the dead whore in the mattress becomes a misdemeanor charge that’ll happen.
Frankly it would be nice if we just dropped all pretense of justice in the US and instead just provide a handy chart where you intersect the crime with how much money will be needed to grease the wheels and skip the jail time.
I never gave the “scales of justice” much thought until a second ago but I can appreciate the irony.
Ethan Couch is evidence they can buy their own reality.
As was said in my Navy years, “Different spanks for different ranks.”
Those are ugly clothes. I’m disappointed.
’tis good to be the king!
sigh… I can dream I guess…
The rich are indeed different from you and me.