SAN DIEGO -- A judge Monday severed the trials of ex-defense contractor Brent Wilkes and banker John Michael, who are charged in connection with the corruption scandal that sent former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to prison.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns postponed Michael's trial indefinitely after attorney Raymond Granger said his client had been diagnosed with viral meningitis.

Pretrial motions are scheduled in Wilkes' case Tuesday, with jury selection set to begin Wednesday. Opening statements are scheduled for Oct. 9.

Michael, a New York-based mortgage banker, Wilkes, of Poway, and the former No. 3 man at the CIA and Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, were charged in two separate indictments on Feb. 13.

Wilkes was charged with conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, bribery of a public official, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions.

Michael was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly attempting to influence and impede a grand jury investigation by providing false and misleading testimony regarding Wilkes' role in paying off the $500,000 second mortgage on Cunningham's Rancho Santa Fe mansion.

Michael's uncle, financier Thomas Kontogiannis, pleaded guilty to money laundering for arranging funding for Cunningham to buy the Rancho Santa Fe home and setting up fraudulent loans to pay off the mortgage.

In a separate indictment, Foggo and Wilkes were charged with conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions.

According to that indictment, Wilkes provided more than $700,000 to Cunningham, who in return betrayed the public's trust by corruptly influencing the appropriation of funds and execution of government contracts that would help Wilkes' company, ADCS Inc.

Foggo allegedly used his seniority within the CIA to influence the awarding of contracts to Wilkes, a lifelong friend.

According to the indictment, Wilkes paid the bribes to Cunningham in the form of cash, checks, meals, prostitution and limousine services, corporate jet travel, lodging, furnishings, boats and marine equipment, vacations and entertainment.

Cunningham pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion for accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes and was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison.

In July, Cunningham was brought to San Diego to help prosecutors prepare for the trials of Wilkes, Michael and Foggo.

Burns scheduled a status conference in Michael's case for Nov. 5.

A separate trial is planned for Wilkes and Foggo at a later date.