Judge in Facebook case orders Paul Ceglia to return from Ireland

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A federal judge has ordered Paul Ceglia, the New York state man who moved to Ireland during his lawsuit against Facebook, to return to the United States to search for missing evidence.

U. S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio made the decision after a three-hour hearing on Wednesday.

Ceglia, who claims he’s entitled to half of Mark Zuckerberg’s multibillion-dollar stake in Facebook, must return to western New York to search for a missing flash drive. He has 30 days to comply with the judge’s order, which was released Thursday.

Ceglia’s lawyer, Dean Bolan, said his client would come home and welcomed the opportunity to push the case forward.

DOCUMENT: Read the court order

‘I don’t know his travel plans but my client will fully comply with the court’s order,’ Bolan said. ‘We are thankful for a precise and detailed order going to finally wrap up the case.’

Ceglia claimed he has a 2003 contract with Zuckerberg and emails he exchanged with Zuckerberg in 2003 and 2004.

Facebook disputes the authenticity of the contract and the emails. And Facebook’s lawyers say the missing drive will prove it.

In an emailed statement, Facebook’s lawyer Orin Snyder said: ‘These are the desperate acts of a man whose fraudulent lawsuit has now been fully exposed.’

In court Thursday, Snyder said Facebook will soon file a motion to dismiss Ceglia’s lawsuit.

Bolan said he expects the case to go to trial.

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-- Jessica Guynn