Charges dropped against banker in NYC cab fare dispute

STAMFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) - Connecticut prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against a former high-ranking Morgan Stanley banker accused of stabbing a New York City cab driver in a dispute over a fare, saying the driver had concealed evidence.

William Bryan Jennings, of Darien, Connecticut, had been charged with intimidation as a hate crime, theft and assault against cab driver Mohamed Ammar after they argued last December. Jennings had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Ammar drove Jennings to Connecticut from a holiday party in Manhattan, but when they arrived at Jennings' driveway, a fight broke out over the fare, which the driver said had been agreed at $204.

In a brief hearing in Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, about 40 miles northeast of New York, prosecutor Steven Weiss said he would not proceed with the case because Ammar had for five months concealed from authorities the knife allegedly used to assault him.

"I can't go forward with a case where the victim concealed evidence," Weiss said.

Neither the cab driver, Ammar, of the New York City borough of Queens, nor his attorney, Hassan Ahmad, appeared in court. Advocates of Ammar planned a press conference for later on Monday.

Two of Ammar's supporters, who arrived at the Stamford courthouse after the hearing, complained about the prosecutor's decision.

"We thought there was plenty of evidence to go forward," said Mongi Dhaouadi, a representative of the Connecticut Council of Masajid, a Muslim community organization. "We just wanted a judge and a jury to decide. To drop the case, it sends the wrong message."

Immediately after the incident came to light, Morgan Stanley put Jennings on leave. He is no longer with the firm.

Eugene Riccio, Jennings' lawyer, said: "This is a lesson in the unfortunate circumstance when someone of prominence gets arrested and the public and press jump to the wrong conclusion."

Jennings, who appeared in court wearing a charcoal suit, blue shirt and blue tie, told reporters after the hearing: "The outcome speaks for itself."

(Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/charges-dropped-against-banker-nyc-cab-fare-tussle-154554941--sector.html

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