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posted by janrinok on Sunday March 11 2018, @08:23PM   Printer-friendly
from the what-a-shame dept.

It's 7 Years in Prison for Martin Shkreli, Convicted of Fraud

A federal judge sentenced former pharmaceutical executive and hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli to seven years in prison Friday following his earlier conviction on three of eight counts of securities and wire fraud charges.

According to reporters present in the Brooklyn courtroom, Shkreli gave an emotional and tearful speech prior to his sentencing, taking blame and responsibility for his actions and saying he had changed as a person since his conviction. US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto reportedly handed him a box of tissues and took a lengthy amount of time reviewing his transgressions and history.

The sentencing caps a long, public saga for Shkreli, who is widely reviled for drastically raising the price of a cheap, decades-old drug, as well as provocative and offensive online antics, including harassing women.

Obligatory Nelson HaHa

Source: ArsTechnica

Sobbing "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors

KSWB-TV reports

He was convicted on August 5, 2017 of securities fraud and conspiracy in what prosecutors said amounted to a Ponzi scheme. Shkreli called the charges "a witch hunt of epic proportions".

During his sentencing on Friday in Brooklyn federal court, Shkreli, 34, broke into tears and pleaded with the judge for leniency.

"I look back and I'm embarrassed and ashamed", he told the court. "I am terribly sorry", he said to his investors, "I lost your trust."

At his trial last year, Shkreli often wore a smirk and was chastised by the judge for his behavior, including for an incident in which he told reporters that the prosecutors on the case were "junior varsity". He also ignored the advice of his lawyer by commenting on the trial via social media and YouTube.

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by black6host on Tuesday March 13 2018, @12:14AM (3 children)

    by black6host (3827) on Tuesday March 13 2018, @12:14AM (#651590) Journal

    If you think for a second that a judge doesn't consider their courtroom their domain over which they exercise all control and that a judge doesn't demand respect from everyone in it then you haven't been to court much, lol. Sorry, I've spent several years in the civil system over a guardianship case. I learned a couple of things. When testifying, including cross examination, look the judge in the eye and speak to the judge. Not the attorney who asked the question. Second, unless you asked to speak then keep your mouth shut. Don't roll your eyes. Don't grunt when the opposition makes claims that are scandalous and lies. Suck it up and wait your turn. Now, IANAL I'm just relaying my personal experience.

    So, following all that, I won. I love testifying, I had the opposing attorney at a loss for words. He would ask me something and by the time I was done he was speechless.

    You are right though, I'm not saying you're not. But if someone is an asshole to the judge for the duration of the trial don't think for a second that the judge will forget that. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. (US personal experience, YMMV)

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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 13 2018, @06:48PM (2 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 13 2018, @06:48PM (#651928) Journal

    After following Groklaw daily for over ten years, I did know some of that.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    • (Score: 2) by black6host on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:55PM (1 child)

      by black6host (3827) on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:55PM (#651962) Journal

      I'm sure that you do. I didn't mean for my post to come across the way it did, sorry. Wish my knowledge had come that way instead of first hand :)

      • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday March 14 2018, @01:46PM

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday March 14 2018, @01:46PM (#652362) Journal

        Wish my knowledge had come that way instead of first hand :)

        That doesn't sound good. Sorry to hear it.

        Everyone was aghast at SCO antics. But when anyone volunteered to go to court to take notes and write up a report of what happened, there would be warnings and explanations about how to dress and behave in court. Pay attention to the court's rules about recording devices, etc.

        Groklaw was quite an education about the legal system. How slow it is. How it gives the bad buys way more rope than they deserve, even after years of stalling. That justice is often a coin flip. People thought SCO would go out with a big bang once everything came to light. After years of delaying and stalling and hiding their evidence, some flimsy evidence was eventually produced (after being ordered three times by the court, and after years!). By the time the trial was near, the court produced several rulings against SCO that were devastating to its case. Pulling the rug out from under it. Trial was to begin Monday Sept 17, 2007. On the Friday afternoon prior, SCO declared bankruptcy. (Bankruptcy fraud, because they were still solvent, they just didn't want to face the music.) Then we got years of watching the stench of how bankruptcy court works. It reeks to high heaven. Basically any real justice denied in the other court cases. The assets can go one direction and emerge squeaky clean, while the liabilities or potential liabilities go a different direction -- depriving anyone of any potential monetary judgement wins. Bankruptcy is supposed to either liquidate or reorganize, and fairly quickly. yet SCO remains in bankruptcy to this day. Next September 14 it will have been in bankruptcy for 11 years. There are no assets left. Just an administrative shell that continues to try its lawsuit against IBM. The courts now handling that are taking it slower than a snail in winter because there is no point. Maybe they just hope SCO will go away in bankruptcy. So it all ends with a fizzle instead of a bang.

        --
        People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.