Financial adviser Michael Szafranski stood out during his federal court appearance in a designer suit and yarmulke Wednesday to change his plea for helping disbarred law firm chairman Scott Rothstein lure investors to his $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.

The soft-spoken defendant told U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas in Fort Lauderdale that he was in therapy for alcohol abuse, which arose after he began serving as Rothstein’s “independent verifier” for investors.