"Because the defendant has consented to proceeding remotely, and in order to bring this case to a prompt conclusion in the interests of all concerned, the plea cannot be further delayed without serious harm to the interests of justice," Judge Kaplan wrote in the court order.

Last July, Georgiton pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of bribing an officer of a financial institution. Kaufman also pleaded not guilty to two counts of bribery of a financial institution officer, and to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Alan Kaufman

Earlier this year and in 2019, Judge Kaplan denied two attempts by Kaufman's lawyers to dismiss the charges against the former credit union executive. Kaufman's jury trial may be held next year.

The $1.1 billion Melrose, founded by Kaufman's family, was liquidated in September 2018 after posting more than $745 million in taxi medallion loan losses. Many drivers who took out Melrose loans could not repay them, as the value of their taxi medallions plunged because of competition from ride-sharing companies.

Kaufman allegedly accepted free housing and financing for the purchase of his personal residence from Georgiton, an owner of a taxi medallion brokerage business and other companies.

Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York said Georgiton in 2010 purchased a residence for $630,000 in Jericho, N.Y. The residence had been selected by Kaufman, who lived in it rent-free for two years, prosecutors said.

In 2013, Kaufman purchased the residence from Georgiton for $630,000. The purchase was financed through a $200,000 loan that Georgiton co-signed at Melrose and a $240,000 loan he made to Kaufman. But Kaufman never made a payment on the loan, according to the indictment.

The former CEO approved the refinancing of more than $60 million in Melrose loans that had been made to a company owned by Georgiton, as well as an additional cash loan of $5 million, according to the indictment. Kaufman also allegedly approved the refinancing of $26 million in loans that had been made to a Georgiton company, as well as an additional loan of about $2.5 million.

What's more, federal prosecutors said Kaufman allegedly accepted "lavish vacations and other gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars" from an unidentified media firm in exchange for his approval of advertising with the media company. That firm paid for Kaufman and his girlfriend, who also worked at Melrose, to travel to Paris, Hawaii and the 2013 Super Bowl.

Kaufman also allegedly accepted a trip from a professional sports team.