Pedro Espada Jr. doubled-downed on the crazy yesterday, having his entourage deck themselves out in red clothing to fight the black magic he accuses prosecutors of performing on jurors in Brooklyn federal court.
“Red is the color of protection,” said Monica Harris, an ex-Espada staffer, self-described “raw foodist” and the woman who cooked up the crimson-colored carnival in court at Espada’s embezzlement trial.
“Very simply said, 100 times, going ahead,” Harris explained without making munch sense. “Natural stones and colors carry energy.”
Espada didn’t wear any red — but his wife, Connie, his burly bodyguard and several other members of his clique paraded around court in stop-sign-colored clothes.
The jury again failed to reach a verdict amid the madness and planned to continue deliberations next week.
The antics came a day after Espada — who called Harris “my energy source” — placed a set of rosary beads around his neck, its crucifix dangling over his belly.
The ex-state senator claimed prosecutors and a female FBI agent were performing “a certain ritual” in the courtroom to affect the jury.
Espada elaborated on that theory yesterday when he was asked about sea of red.
He claimed members of the prosecution team were sitting in certain seats in the jury’s box belonging to jurors whom they believe are leaning toward the former Bronx political powerhouse.
“They have occupied four seats,” Espada said. “The four jurors are aligned with our cause. And they were trying to signal that. And I worry about intimidation.”
And Espada didn’t stop at accusing prosecutors of using sorcery.
“I worry about access to information, and secret jury deliberations,” Espada said. “The underlying question was how did they know . . . The fact that they know these jurors are aligned with us, there’s just some concern.”
Espada also might be concerned that two days after jurors told Judge Frederic Block they were deadlocked, they gave every sign yesterday of working toward a resolution.
“Can we hand in a partial verdict to you and continue to deliberate other counts,” jurors wrote Block, who said they could.
Espada’s lawyer unsuccessfully asked Block to tell them that they are not required to continue deliberating if they’ve concluded that can’t reach a verdict.
“We’re very confident all the way through of an innocent verdict,” Espada told reporters.
He and son Pedro Gautier Espada are accused of looting the Bronx-based Soundview Health Care Network charity of about $500,000.
Prosecutors claim the Espadas had the federally supported non-profit pay for lavish personal expenses that were claimed as legitimate business-related expenses by the charity, whose ostensible mission is to provide quality health care for poor Bronx residents.