Frieda Hanimov feared she would lose custody of her children because she suspected New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Garson was corrupt. She went to authorities and agreed to wear a wire. One woman's fight for her kids led to a full-fledged anti-corruption probe. “48 Hours" Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 8/4/2007. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Why did Frida Hanimov go undercover?
I'll meet them about five, six blocks away from the warehouse.
We'd meet her, wire her up, talk to her, prep her about what she's going to say when she goes in.
When you get off from your car, you see this big, huge warehouse.
I mean, not a place that we were very happy about sending her into, but it was necessary. She was not the type of individual who you would normally put a recording device on. She was pregnant, and to have a pregnant woman who had no experience doing this, it was harrowing on us as well.
And this big steel gate will open up My heart was really going fast. And then the boom, they close it after me. I said, oh my God, I have no way out, even if I want to run away.
She could have been harmed. She could have been hurt. She could have been killed.
The truth is when I went inside, I didn't care about myself. This is the last chance I have to keep my kids.
Chamber of Secrets.
And this is a big mahogany door that I bought.
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Chapter 2: What evidence did Frida gather against the judge?
Chapter 3: How did corruption affect Frida's custody battle?
Chapter 4: What role did Nisim Elman play in the case?
I made a promise. I would never stop looking.
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We're talking about corruption in the court system and the pawns that are being played with here are children.
The very fabric of the legal system is at stake here. There is a question. If I walk into a courtroom, am I getting a fair shot? Am I getting a fair shake? I'm Michael Vecchione, and I am the Chief of the Rackets Division in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.
And I was in charge of the investigation begun by Frida Hanimov, who started this by walking into our office and telling us that she was about to lose her children because a judge had been fixed.
I felt something is wrong, but I couldn't prove it. I just couldn't prove it. I said, what kind of America is this? I'm Frida Hanimov. I went undercover for the district attorney office to nail a corrupt judge. I'm not a police officer. I'm not a detective. I'm a mother and a nurse. I'll do anything, anything in the world to keep my kids. Even if I have to fight with a tiger, I'll do it.
a Supreme Court judge being paid off, being bribed. You can't get much more serious than that. So he decided to put a recording device on her.
This is the neighborhood that we took Freda to.
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Chapter 5: What was Judge Garson's involvement in the corruption?
Chapter 6: How did Frida's situation escalate with her ex-husband?
And I was in charge of the investigation begun by Frida Hanimov, who started this by walking into our office and telling us that she was about to lose her children because a judge had been fixed.
I felt something is wrong, but I couldn't prove it. I just couldn't prove it. I said, what kind of America is this? I'm Frida Hanimov. I went undercover for the district attorney office to nail a corrupt judge. I'm not a police officer. I'm not a detective. I'm a mother and a nurse. I'll do anything, anything in the world to keep my kids. Even if I have to fight with a tiger, I'll do it.
a Supreme Court judge being paid off, being bribed. You can't get much more serious than that. So he decided to put a recording device on her.
This is the neighborhood that we took Freda to.
I'll meet them about five, six blocks away from the warehouse.
We'd meet her, wire her up, talk to her, prep her about what she's going to say when she goes in.
When you get off from your car, you see this big, huge warehouse.
I mean, not a place that we were very happy about sending her into, but it was necessary. She was not the type of individual who you would normally put a recording device on. She was pregnant, and to have a pregnant woman who had no experience doing this, it was harrowing on us as well.
And this big steel gate will open up My heart was really going fast. And then the boom, they close it after me. I said, oh my God, I have no way out, even if I want to run away.
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Chapter 7: What was the outcome of Frida's undercover operation?
Okay, guys ready? I felt like they're not talking anymore about my little kids because it's so obvious they're going to be mine. In the beginning I was so dangerous, remember? Now I'm a very good mother. Now you're a good mother? All of a sudden I get visitation from my oldest son after six months.
She saw such a difference of how people treated her from top down.
So she gives Elman the money and boom, everything changes.
Semenovsky particularly became a lot less strident in terms of his feelings towards her.
Semenovsky, good morning to me all of a sudden and the judge is going easy on me. I felt very good.
He's pouring over a lot of the transcripts.
It was up to the DA now to figure out how an electronic salesman could possibly be influencing custody decisions.
Okay.
They put a tap on Elman's phone.
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