Jail transcripts: Zimmerman, wife discuss finances in code

• NEW: Outside lawyers say recordings bring Zimmerman's credibility into question


• Zimmerman charged with second-degree murder in Trayvon Martin's death


• He and his wife both claimed they were indigent at a bond hearing in April


• Jailhouse phone calls released Monday show the two discussing their money

-- Despite telling the court they were indigent, George Zimmerman and his wife discussed -- in code, according to prosecutors -- money raised online to help in his defense on second-degree murder charges, jailhouse phone calls released Monday show.

Prosecutors had claimed the Zimmermans lied about their financial means before a Florida judge set his bond, which the suspect then posted to get out of jail. Zimmerman, accused in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, is now back behind bars after the judge revoked his bail, citing the misrepresentations.

Six calls made public Monday, out of about 151 total that Zimmerman made while incarcerated, appear to back up the prosecutor's assertions.

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At her husband's April 20 bond hearing, Shellie Zimmerman testified she didn't know how much had been raised through the website her husband had set up before charges being filed.

And when asked whether the couple had money available to assist in his defense, she replied, "Um, not -- not that I'm aware of."

In one jailhouse phone conversation, Zimmerman asks his wife, "In my account, do I have at least $100?" She answers no, then tells him he has more like "$8, $8.60."

"So total everything, how much are we looking at?" Zimmerman asks his wife.

"Like $155," she responds.

Prosecutors claim the husband and wife were speaking in a type of code about their available funds.

In another call, Zimmerman asks his wife to "pay off all the bills," including Sam's Club and American Express bills, prosecutors said.

The couple also discusses how much money can be accessed and what to do with it, including transferring funds that were raised online for his defense to accounts belonging to Zimmerman's sister and wife, prosecutors state in a probable cause affidavit.

Records released Monday show that tens of thousands of dollars were transferred out of a bank account. Prosecutors allege a total of $47,000 was transferred from George Zimmerman's account to his sister's account from April 16 and 17, and that Shellie Zimmerman transferred more than $74,000 from her husband's account to her account between April 16 and April 19.

After George Zimmerman was released on bond this spring, his wife transferred more than $85,500 from her account back to his account, according to the affidavit.

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Prosecutors allege the couple actually had about $135,000 of donations at their disposal when they both told the court, under oath, they were indigent.

Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, later said his client ended up netting a total of $204,000 via PayPal accounts -- about $150,000 of which is now in an independently managed trust after $30,000 was used to pay for "life in hiding" and $20,000 has been kept liquid.

On June 1, Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. agreed with the prosecution that the Zimmermans were dishonest about their financial status and, after revoking George Zimmerman's bond, ordered that he return to jail. He remains behind bars and has a second bond hearing set for June 29.

On June 12, Shellie Zimmerman was arrested on a perjury charge, accused of lying at her husband's bond hearing about the couple's finances. She was released later that day after meeting the conditions of a $1,000 bond, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said.

Defense attorneys acknowledged, in a statement released June 4, that the audio recordings "make it clear that Mr. Zimmerman knew a significant sum had been raised by the original fund-raising website."

"We feel the failure to disclose these funds was caused by fear, mistrust and confusion," the lawyers said. "The gravity of this mistake has been distinctly illustrated, and Mr. Zimmerman understands that this mistake has undermined his credibility, which he will have to work to repair."

The defense team on Monday filed a motion asking a judge to reconsider the release of a witness statement and to clarify a previous ruling on the release of additional jail phone calls. Both issues will be addressed during next week's bond hearing.

It all ties into the larger case against Zimmerman, who prosecutors say ignored a police dispatcher's instruction and pursued Martin as he was walking in a Sanford, Florida, gated community last winter and shot the unarmed teenager. The 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer, meanwhile, has insisted he shot Martin in self-defense.

Independent attorneys told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell the jailhouse recordings should be relevant in the case -- both as the judge weighs how high to set Zimmerman's bail and, once the trial begins, potentially affecting jurors' assessment as to whether his account of what happened February 26 can be trusted. While investigators talked to several neighbors and others, no one saw the shooting directly except for Zimmerman and the now-deceased Martin.

"His credibility is everything. Why would he risk it on something that is so trivial as this?" Georgia-based lawyer Pilar Prinz said of the Zimmermans' jailhouse discussions about their money. " I can't understand it."

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Besides the conversations about finances, the newly released phone calls shed light on the relationship between George and Shellie Zimmerman. In one exchange, they talk optimistically about their future together.

"After this, ... you're going to be able to just have a great life," Shellie Zimmerman said.

"We will," replies her husband.

The two also talk about the support Zimmerman has received from the public, in the wake of the controversy that followed the Martin shooting.

"You're special and (an) amazing role model to people, honey," his wife said.

"Hmm, I wish, I wish I were," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman Returns to Jail After Bail Revoked

George Zimmerman arrived at the Seminole County Jail in Sanford, Fla., early this afternoon to turn himself in after a judge revoked his bail in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Sheriff's office officials brought Zimmerman into jail in full view of the media, unlike his release, when he was whisked away in secrecy.

Looking a little heavier than he did after his arrest and with his formerly short-cropped hair growing out, Zimmerman wore a plaid shirt and jeans.

He arrived at the jail less than one hour before the 2:30 p.m. deadline for his surrender.

Zimmerman was met by officers off I-4 and was driven into custody about 20 minutes later, authorities said.

After he arrived, Zimmerman was to be booked again and placed into isolation in administrative confinement for his own protection, according to a law enforcement official.

Less than six weeks ago, Zimmerman walked out of Seminole County Courthouse a free man on bail, preparing to live the next year or two of his life in hiding as he awaited the beginning of his high profile murder trial for the death of Martin.

But following a contentious hearing Friday in which the court learned Zimmerman and his wife Shelly had allegedly tried to hide from the court the more than $135,000 in cash they had amassed in donated legal funds, Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester ordered him back in jail with 48 hours.

Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara said Zimmerman's credibility will now be a major issue which he will have to address.

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O'Mara also hinted Zimmerman may not testify at a bond hearing.

Within weeks of its launch on April 9, therealgeorgezimmerman.com received more than $200,000 in donations to help with Zimmerman's legal expenses. But at an April 20 bond hearing, Zimmerman and his wife told the judge they were financially indigent.

Since his attorney last month waived his right to a speedy trial, Zimmerman could conceivably spend the duration of the trial in isolation for his own security.

"At this time revoke his bond," Lester said at the hearing Friday. "Order him to surrender himself within 48 hours."

The prosecution presented at least four jailhouse phone conversations in which George and Shelly Zimmerman were apparently discussing tiny amounts of money, but where allegedly referring to some of the $200,000 supporters had poured into his PayPal account.

At the time of the recordings, Zimmerman had just been recently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

During one call on April 16, Zimmerman and his wife were taped discussing their bank accounts.

George Zimmerman: In my account do I have at least $100?

Shelly Zimmerman: No

George Zimmerman: How close am I?

Shelly Zimmerman: $8. $8.60

George Zimmerman: Really? So total everything how much are we looking at?

Shelly Zimmerman: Like $155

Prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda noted Shelly Zimmerman actually meant $155,000.

He said the couple knew that their conversation was being recorded but that they were speaking in code and knowingly withheld from the court the amount of money brought in from therealgeorgezimmerman.com, the now defunct website set up by the 28-year-old to help fund his defense fund.

Zimmerman set up the site on April 9.

He released his first public comments about his role in the death of Trayvon Martin on it, and in less than 2 weeks the site raised $200,000 in anonymous donations sent via a PayPal link.

Information provided by Zimmerman's attorney a week after he was released on bail showed that the couple had $135,000 in their bank account a day before the April 20 hearing.

Zimmerman wants new bond hearing

Zimmerman is booked into jail again

• George Zimmerman surrendered Sunday in Seminole County, Florida


• His lawyers have said they will request a new bond hearing for their client Monday


• A judge revoked his bond, saying he wasn't truthful about his financial means


• Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin

 George Zimmerman's lawyers have vowed to file a motion asking a Florida judge for a new bond hearing for their client Monday, a day after the murder suspect returned to jail on a judge's order.

The 28-year-old Florida man accused in the death of Trayvon Martin had been free on bond for weeks until Sunday afternoon, when he turned himself in to authorities in Seminole County, Florida.

Zimmerman become a focus of intense national attention earlier this year, after he fatally shot the unarmed African-American teenager who had gone out to buy a bag of Skittles and Arizona iced tea at a 7-Eleven in Sanford, Florida.

The neighborhood watch volunteer had claimed the February 26 shooting was in self-defense. Martin's family and civil rights activists from around the nation contended Zimmerman, who is white Hispanic, racially profiled the 17-year-old and ignored a 911 dispatcher's request not to follow him.

Did Zimmerman and his wife talk in code?

Judge revokes George Zimmerman's bond.

In April, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder after the case was referred to a state attorney for a review. He was released from custody later that month after posting bail.

But on Friday, Seminole County Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. ordered Zimmerman back to jail, accusing the suspect of not being truthful about how much money he had access to when his bond was set months earlier.

At the time, his wife told the court under oath that the family was indigent. But prosecutors alleged, in fact, Zimmerman had $135,000.

Addressing reporters after last week's ruling, lead defense attorney Mark O'Mara expressed hope that his client's detention once again would be short-lived.

"The revocation of bond, I hope, is temporary," O'Mara said. "I hope that they will give us a day in court to explain George's behavior and look at all the circumstances ... in determining what (Lester) is going to do about letting him back out on bond."

The defense team, in an online statement posted Sunday, pointed to the fact that Zimmerman turned himself in voluntarily, and within the 48-hour limit mandated by Judge Lester, as proof "that he is not a flight risk."

For now, Zimmerman is being held on no-bail status in administrative confinement at Seminole County's John E. Polk Correctional Facility, Sheriff Donald Eslinger said. Equipped with two beds and a toilet, his cell is designed to hold two inmates and is about 67 square feet, the sheriff's office said.

Zimmerman is "anticipated" to stand trial sometime next year, according to his defense team. His return to jail centers around a pool of money that appears to have been donated to Zimmerman through a website he set up to help with a legal defense fund.

Citing recorded jailhouse conversations between Zimmerman and his wife, prosecutors alleged the two spoke in code when discussing the money in a credit union account, according to a court documents filed last Friday by State Attorney Angela B. Corey.

Zimmerman "fully controlled and participated in the transfer of money from the PayPal account to defendant and his wife's credit union accounts," Corey said in court records. "This occurred prior to the time defendant was arguing to the court that he was indigent and his wife had no money."

The judge "relied on false representations and statements" by Zimmerman and his wife when the court set his bond at $150,000, Corey said. Zimmerman was required to post only 10% of that.

Lester appeared angry that the court had not been told about the money.

"Does your client get to sit there like a potted palm and let you lead me down the primrose path?" he asked Zimmerman's lawyer. "That's the issue."

Defense lawyers contend, in an online statement, that "the vast majority of the funds in question are in an independently managed trust" that Zimmerman and his attorneys can not access directly.

O'Mara said in an interview with CNN that his client, who was not in court for Friday's hearing is "frustrated because he now has to come out of hiding."

"You need to realize we're still talking about a 28-year-old who's being charged with a crime he does not believe he committed, and his whole life has been turned upside down. So I think that it all needs to be kept in context."