A Texas lawyer being sued by oil giant BP over allegations that he falsely claimed to represent thousands of deckhands who lost money in the 2010 Gulf oil spill has asked a federal court to delay the lawsuit while a criminal investigation plays out.

A federal appeals court has upheld a judge's approval of a multibillion-dollar settlement between BP PLC and lawyers for Gulf Coast businesses and residents who claim the company's 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill cost them money.

Attorneys for a former BP engineer convicted of trying to obstruct a federal probe of the company's 2010 Gulf oil spill have asked for more time to file requests for a new trial or a post-verdict acquittal.

Friday's filing on behalf of Mikal Watts says federal officials have seized and copied material from Watts' law firm regarding oil spill claims. Watts' attorney, Robert McDuff, says in the filing that there is the prospect for an indictment of people involved with the case in the federal Southern District of Mississippi within two months.

BP PLC's December lawsuit alleges that many of the Social Security numbers on Watts' client list were phony.

McDuff has strongly denied that Watts engaged in fraud or identity theft.

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