Brooks' ex-pilot admits mistakes, sticks to main testimony

David Brooks' former chief pilot conceded Thursday, after two days of cross-examination, that he made some "mistakes" in his testimony about the number of the body-armor magnate's relatives on some flights he captained and the reasons they were aboard Brooks' personal jet.

Irving Villalon testified in federal court in Central Islip that the former head of DHB Industries "worked hard, [and] he worked every day" under questioning by defense attorney Kenneth Ravenell.

But he stuck to the main lines of his testimony for federal prosecutors earlier in the week that he flew Brooks and his family and friends on numerous personal trips, including vacations to the Caribbean, Europe and the West Coast.

At one point in his testimony, Villalon was dubious about the suggestion that there was a business reason for a flight that carried six women and two unidentified men from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to meet with Brooks and his brother, Jeffrey.

To smiles from some of the jurors, Villalon said the women "dressed sexy . . . with a lot of cleavage . . . beautiful makeup."

Federal prosecutor Richard Lunger said the personal flights were illegally billed as business expenses to DHB, formerly based in Westbury, at a cost of more than $1 million.

Brooks is charged with having the company illegally pay for almost $5 million in personal expenses, as well as masterminding a stock scam in which he made $185 million. Brooks has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, securities, mail and wire fraud and obstruction.

Defense attorneys say he was entitled to have the company repay him for personal expenses.

Also testifying for the government Thursday was Brett Pelling, a leading trainer of harness racers, who said he received more than $900,000 for training Brooks' horses on checks drawn on a Tennessee company named TAP. Prosecutors allege the company was a front to funnel money from DHB to support Brooks' stable of racehorses.