Attorney defending accused $23M homeless fraud is go-to man for infamous clients

Alleged fraudster Alexander Soofer, accused of stealing $23 million in taxpayer funds earmarked for the homeless, has joined a long list of criminals defended by attorney Michael G. Freedman.

Freedman appeared alongside the so-called charity boss in court on Monday. The lawyer has previously represented Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, and Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, who admitted stealing $17 million from the Dodgers star to pay off gambling debts, The Post has learned.

Cosby was represented by Freedman in 2022 while facing a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a teenager in 1975 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, according to court filings.

The plaintiff, Judy Huth, said she was 16 when Cosby lured her to a bedroom and forced himself on her.

A jury awarded Huth $500,000. The Freedman Firm later described the verdict as a victory on its website, saying Freedman defeated punitive damages claims following a month-long trial on Cosby’s behalf.

In 2023, Freedman was brought on as lead counsel for Harvey Weinstein’s West Coast appeal of his 16-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, according to Variety. That appeal remains pending.

More recently, Freedman represented Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Ohtani.

Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing roughly $17 million from the 2024 National League MVP to cover gambling debts. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $18 million in restitution.

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Freedman’s services do not come cheap. Legal sources estimate his hourly rate at $1,000 to $1,500. In 2024, he was also hired by Edwin Castro, the largest Powerball winner in history.

Castro, who won a $2.4 billion jackpot, was sued by Jose Rivera, who claimed the winning ticket was his. The case was later dismissed, court records show.

Soofer appeared in court with Freedman while facing charges that he siphoned millions in taxpayer money meant to combat homelessness to fund a lavish lifestyle that allegedly included a $7 million Westwood mansion, a $125,000 Range Rover, and a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, featured in the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

It remains unclear who is paying for Soofer’s legal defense. Requests for comment from Freedman’s office went unanswered.

After pleading not guilty, Soofer stayed close to his attorney as they exited a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. Freedman attempted to block photographers and said there would be no further comment.

Soofer faces up to 37 years in prison if convicted.