FXDD CEO Joseph Botkier charged with assault after altercation with wife; loaded illegal firearm found at home

FXDD CEO Joseph Botkier has been charged with assault and possession of an illegal 32-caliber semi-automatic firearm after he hit his wife in the face with the metal part of a Prada purse which left her with an open wound above her eye.

During an argument on Sunday morning which occurred in the lobby of the apartment building in which 69 year old Mr. Botkier resides with his wife, Maria, the row escalated, resulting in Mr. Botkier striking his wife in the face, which eventually led to his arrest.

When Police arrived at the apartment complex at 2 River Terrace, in which Leonardo di Caprio also owns two apartments, the officers found a loaded .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun during the search of the apartment.

In New York State, according to the Penal Law sections 265.01 to 265.09, possession of an illegal firearm is a categorized as a felony.

Media reports across New York on the matter have focused on Mr. Botkier’s previous venture, which was his position as COO of his daughter’s luxury accessories supplier Botkier Handbags, however Mr. Botiker was appointed CEO of FXDD in May 2004, bringing with him significant experience having held senior executive positions at major banks and Fortune 500 companies, with 25 years of expertise in the institutional FX sector.

Monica Botkier, Joseph Botkier’s daughter, founded the famous Botkier handbag company after having studied photography at New York University and working in photography for a number of years by the early 2000s. She contributed many photographs to fashion magazines including Nylon and Surface before making her own handbag, which led to the popularity of her products among celebrities and the wealthy.

One particular report on the assault included the interview of Mr. Botkier’s wife Maria Botkier, who revealed that she instigated the argument.

Mrs. Botkier explained to the New York Post:

“I was attacking him and everything, beating him up, kicking him, ripping his pants apart, and he just didn’t know what to do. He just grabbed this purse that was on the seat and just, like, wanted me to stop and unfortunately, he hit me over the forehead with heavy piece of metal.”

Despite the severity, and the visit from the police who promptly arrested Mr. Botkier, Mrs. Botkier will not be pressing charges. However, when she was asked by a series of journalists in New York whether the purse in question was a Botkier purse, she replied “no it was a Prada.”

Mr. Botkier was released from Police detention after paying $8,550 in cash at his arraignment on Monday this week at Manhattan Criminal Court, and should the matter be taken further, Mr. Botkier’s laywer Alex Spiro has stated publicly that he will deny the charges.

Featured photograph at FXDD, 7 World Trade Center, NY. Copyright FinanceFeeds. Photograph of 2 River Terrace courtesy of Cityspade.com