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Attorney Ian Friedman Launches Defense of Accused Solon Businessman

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Ashwani "Eddie" Adya, a businessman living in Solon, is accused of bribing Ohio employees in order to receive a city grant that would allow him to open a Dunkin Donuts on Lee Road. Now, Attorney Ian Friedman is striking back against the allegations, even as Adya’s alleged collaborators begin to cooperate with investigators on their role in the alleged scheme.

"I've had a steady stream of calls from people pledging support for Ashwani and attesting to his character," Attorney Friedman told Cleveland.com. He also added that cooperation of Adya's suspected cohorts was not indicative of any wrongdoing by Adya himself, saying that they are simply "words of two admitted criminals who know the more people they take down the lighter their sentence is."

LeJon Woods, a former contract compliance officer of Ohio's Office of Equal Opportunity and Lawrence Payten, a former official with Harvard Community Services Center are the city employees also implicated in the case. Both men have admitted their role in other, unrelated crimes, including extortion and mail fraud, respectively. According to prosecutors, Adya paid Woods $3000 on two occasions to secure a $25,000 city grant (procured by Payten) aimed at hiring local, minority-owned contractors.

Two Sides of the Story

According to the indictment against Adya, the briberies, occurring in 2009 and 2010, were used because Adya knew we would not meet the hiring requirements necessary to receive the grant legitimately. However, as Attorney Friedman asserts, there has already been an outpouring of community support for Adya, who is well-respected in Solon.

Mr. Adya's trial is still pending, but Attorney Friedman is confident that justice will be served. "We're confident that once a jury has heard both sides, they will find him not guilty," he told Cleveland.com.

Have you been accused of a crime? If so, Ian N. Friedman invites you to contact his office today. Attorney Friedman and his team have built their reputation on tackling the most serious and high-profile of cases and ensuring that the best possible outcome is always placed within reach for their clients.

With proven counsel, it is possible to face this uncertain time with confidence. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.