60-Year Sentence Urged for Wilkes (Duke Cunningham Bribery)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Union-Tribune

60-year sentence urged for Wilkes
Hearing put off for defense contractor
By Greg Moran
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

January 22, 2008

Federal probation officials are recommending that Brent Wilkes, the Poway defense contractor who was convicted of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, should be sentenced to 60 years in prison, according to court records.

Wilkes was scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, but that has been put off until Feb. 19 at the request of his lawyer, Mark Geragos. In court papers, Geragos said he needed more time to analyze and challenge the report from the federal probation office, which he received Jan. 15 – later than required under court rules.

Such a lengthy sentence recommendation, even in an era of increasingly stiff penalties for white collar crimes, is significant, said Shaun Martin, a law professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. “I'm sure Wilkes' lawyers' jaws dropped to the floor when they read 60 years,” he said. “It's a huge number. Bribing public officials is worse than stealing from shareholders. Both are terrible, but one is worse.”

A jury convicted Wilkes of 13 counts of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud Nov. 5. Over the course of nearly a decade, prosecutors said he plied Cunningham with cash bribes of at least $625,000, lavish meals, trips and gifts.

Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080122-9999-1m22wilkes.html

[Binka]

1. Woot! JUSTICE!

Is there any piece of trash that Geragos doesn't represent? Sheesh.

[DCKit]

2. Yeah, the ones that aren't coated in layer upon layer of money.

BTW, what sentence is Cunningham serving? I'm not so sure how bribing a public official is worse than stealing from stockholders, but a public official accepting bribes is waaaayyyy up there in my book. Besides, the courts need to set precedent for the upcoming criminal trials of those offenders still holding office.

[donkeyotay]

3. Sounds serious. I wonder what this guy will get.

Money launderer for 'Duke' won't be sentenced until '08

UNION-TRIBUNE

December 17, 2007

SAN DIEGO – A New York financier who has pleaded guilty to laundering bribe money for former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham will not be sentenced until next year. ...

The judge was concerned that Kontogiannis, with a new worth of $300 million and close ties to his native Greece, posed a flight risk, and canceled his bond and ordered him placed under arrest. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after admitting he laundered $1.1 million in bribes for Cunningham. The former congressman is serving an eight-year federal sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion for taking millions in cash and gifts from defense contractors.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20071217-1350-bn17tommyk.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. What about the guy he bribed?

Seems to me that with only 8 years and an order to relinquish half of the bribes - Cunningham got off easy.

Think about it this way; He took $2.4m in bribes and was only ordered to pay $1.8m in restitution. $600,000/6 years (time off for good behavior 'n all) = $100k/year.

Crime may pay, but it doesn't pay really well, I suppose.