Gold trader says he made 'maybe $150 million' from plot to beat Iran sanctions
Reza Zarrab
Reza Zarrab   once the lead defendant in a widespread money laundering investigation  has pleaded guilty to money laundering and bank fraud among other charges  according to court documents.
On Tuesday  his fifth day of testimony   Zarrab  estimated how much he made by laundering Iranian money for six years until he was arrested in Miami in 2016.
"I don't remember exactly  " Zarrab  said. "It could be $100 million. It could be more than that  maybe $150 million."
Although  Zarrab  has not said how much Iranian money he illegally moved through international banks  an 0.4% cut matching his payout would mean that he helped Iran move $25 billion to $37 billion -- an astonishing number for a black-market operation spearheaded by a single man.
During previous testimony in court   Zarrab  said that Iran had $3 billion at the Turkish state-owned Halkbank. It was those accounts that  Zarrab  says  he  was tasked with emptying to move Iranian funds.
Atilla's defense lawyer  Cathy Fleming  appeared to attack  Zarrab 's integrity by questioning him on Tuesday and Wednesday about how he spent his riches.
 Zarrab  admitted that in 2013  he  paid for prostitutes to satisfy "others " likely business partners and clients.
 He  also said  he  was carrying $102 000 when  he  was arrested in March 2016 -- cash that the international bank fraudster and money launderer planned to spend on a family trip to Walt Disney World.
"This was the money needed for our 10-day trip for seven individuals  " Zarrab  said.
 He  also admitted that  while in a US jail   he  used  his  Turkish lawyer to funnel $45 000 to a US prison guard. It was a bribe so that  he  could sneak alcohol into the jail and use the guard's cell phone to call family members in Turkey.
 Zarrab  also admitted paying other jail inmates to use their phone time when  his  own 300-minute allotment was up.
The closely watched trial took an unexpected turn Wednesday evening  when  Zarrab  was sued by a former jail inmate who accused him of rape.
According to the man's lawsuit   Zarrab  raped him  assaulted him with his hands  and sodomized him with a cucumber when they shared a cell earlier this year at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Zarrab's attorney  Benjamin Brafman  told CNN by email:  "Mr Zarrab  vehemently denies this outrageous and patently false allegation.  He  intends to vigorously defend against this offensive lawsuit."
Last week   Zarrab  implicated top Turkish government officials when  he  testified that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  who was prime minister at the time  personally intervened in the scheme -- as well as former Turkish economy minister Zafer Caglayan.
[TGT] has pleaded guilty to money laundering and bank fraud among other charges  according to court documents.
On Tuesday   [TGT]  fifth day of testimony    [TGT] estimated how much  [TGT]  made by laundering Iranian money for six years until  [TGT]  was arrested in Miami in 2016.
"I don't remember exactly  "  [TGT] said. "It could be $100 million. It could be more than that  maybe $150 million."
Although   [TGT] has not said how much Iranian money  [TGT]  illegally moved through international banks  an 0.4% cut matching  [TGT]  payout would mean that  [TGT]  helped Iran move $25 billion to $37 billion -- an astonishing number for a black-market operation spearheaded by a single man.
During previous testimony in court    [TGT] said that Iran had $3 billion at the Turkish state-owned Halkbank. It was those accounts that   [TGT] says   [TGT]   was tasked with emptying to move Iranian funds.
Atilla's defense lawyer  Cathy Fleming  appeared to attack  Zarrab 's integrity by questioning him on Tuesday and Wednesday about how he spent his riches.
  [TGT] admitted that in 2013   [TGT]   paid for prostitutes to satisfy "others " likely business partners and clients.
  [TGT]   also said   [TGT]   was carrying $102 000 when   [TGT]   was arrested in March 2016 -- cash that the international bank fraudster and money launderer planned to spend on a family trip to Walt Disney World.
"This was the money needed for our 10-day trip for seven individuals  " Zarrab  said.
 He  also admitted that  while in a US jail   he  used  his  Turkish lawyer to funnel $45 000 to a US prison guard. It was a bribe so that  he  could sneak alcohol into the jail and use the guard's cell phone to call family members in Turkey.
 Zarrab  also admitted paying other jail inmates to use their phone time when  his  own 300-minute allotment was up.
The closely watched trial took an unexpected turn Wednesday evening  when  Zarrab  was sued by a former jail inmate who accused him of rape.
According to the man's lawsuit   Zarrab  raped him  assaulted him with his hands  and sodomized him with a cucumber when they shared a cell earlier this year at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Zarrab's attorney  Benjamin Brafman  told CNN by email:  "Mr Zarrab  vehemently denies this outrageous and patently false allegation.  He  intends to vigorously defend against this offensive lawsuit."
Last week   Zarrab  implicated top Turkish government officials when  he  testified that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  who was prime minister at the time  personally intervened in the scheme -- as well as former Turkish economy minister Zafer Caglayan.