In the field of criminal defense, the concept of a victory is often relative.  There are of course cases where the contrast between a win and a loss is clear, as in a jury verdict of acquittal, or in the case of the total dismissal of all charges prior to trial.  But a victory can also be said to exist in circumstances other than an acquittal or a complete dismissal of charges, as many criminal defense lawyers will tell you.

In 2020, our client was charged in a multi-count federal indictment in U.S. District Court with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  The fraud allegations alleged several millions of dollars in loss attributable to a scheme that our client was alleged to have participated in for nearly a decade.  It was clear from the start that the U.S. Attorney’s Office would take an aggressive approach.  In total, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged over 60 defendants in various schemes involving total victim losses of over $300 million.

In our client’s case, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentence of 108 to 135 months imprisonment.  Even assuming a 15% reduction for good behavior, this Guidelines sentence meant that our client was facing approximately 7.5 to 9.5 years in federal prison.  Over the course of several years, our attorneys expended significant energies in an effort to maximize our client’s chances for a successful outcome.  The hard work paid off.  Before 2024 came to a close, our client was ordered to serve a sentence of one year and one day.  With credit for good behavior, our client will serve a sentence of 10 months in a case where the Guidelines called for a minimum term of imprisonment of 7.5 years.