A New York judge known as Vernon Broderick has issued a directive requiring Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and its founder Mark Zuckerberg to turn over some documents. The details requested relate to the ongoing legal battle in which a person known as Paul Ceglia claimed a majority stake in Facebook. Ceglia made false claims and forged documents to show that he loaned Zuckerberg to start up Facebook several year back. Since last month, Ceglia has become a fugitive.
Communications documents: Judge Broderick wants Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and Zuckerberg to surrender documents that detail the communications that Facebook’s founder had with Ceglia. Facebook is required to release the documents to Cegli’s defense lawyer.
The order to release the documents came on Friday and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is expected to comply by Monday. Facebook had made a request so that it does not relinquish the documents until Ceglia is apprehended, but the judge declined to grand that request.
Trial of the case for which Facebook is required to supply the defense lawyer with documents is coming up in May.
$1, 000 loans to Facebook: Ceglia made claims that he offered some $1,000 to Zuckerberg to start Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) in exchange for a majority stake in the future company. However, Ceglia was found to have falsified documents to push forward his allegations. Ceglia fled the criminal charges and has become a fugitive. Even his wife, children and dog are missing at their home in Wellsville, a few miles southeast of Buffalo.
Ceglia claimed 50% ownership of Facebook, a company that is now worth about $229 billion and stands tall as the world’s largest social network.
Ceglia is also being sought by others, including the U.S. Marshals Service that has placed a $5,000 bounty on his head for any information leading to his arrest. Parents of Ceglia signed a $250,000 bond on behalf of their son, an amount that they may have to pay now that Ceglia has gone missing.
