Why do you take Peters' claims about Heymann's motives seriously?

I think you might be reading more into my beliefs wrt Heymann than is warranted, given what I said. (N.b., "Peters accuses him of wanting"; "the form he was presumably hoping to receive them.") I don't pretend to have any direct knowledge of Steve Heymann.

That said, based on what knowledge I do have of him, his being a notches-on-the-belt and consequences be damned type of Federal prosecutor fits the facts well enough — in fact, better-enough than all the other alternatives combined — to consider my opinion accurate enough for an internet forum.

The shoe fits? It makes sense, and I have been given absolutely no reason to doubt it.

Unintended how? The prosecutor decided he wanted to ruin Aaron's life. He succeeded.

The prosecutor wanted another feather in his cap. I doubt he held animosity towards Aaron in particular, any more than a mugger would towards someone wearing an expensive watch.

His name ended up on the newspaper in a manner different than that he expected.