Man Charged in Connection to Blagojevich Scandal Gets Minimal Sentence

Illinois judge could have sentenced Stuart Levine to life in prison, but instead issued a five and half year sentence.

2013-02-01

February 01, 2013 (Press-News.org) Man Charged in Connection to Blagojevich Scandal Gets Minimal Sentence

Cooperation can pay. That appears to be the theme of a recent sentence issued by a judge in Illinois for a case connected with the Gov. Rob Blagojevich's corruption charges.

The judge recently sentenced Mr. Stuart Levine, a political campaign contributor who provided key information leading to the prosecution of former Gov. Blagojevich. Not only did Mr. Levine receive a much shorter sentence than anticipated, according to the Associated Press he also received praise for his cooperation in helping to put an end to "the state's sordid history of corruption."

Mr. Levine was charged with a long list of crimes, including fraud and money laundering. The offenses involved financial crimes against business partners, charities and hospitals as well as the estates of close friends. Levine faced the possibility of life imprisonment but received a sentence of only five and a half years.

The sentence was designed to be a reflection of the benefits tied to cooperating with authorities. Levine's sentence was dramatically reduced because he provided evidence that aided in the conviction of other offenders, like Blagojevich.

This leniency was intended to encourage others in similar situations to cooperate when charged with similar white collar crimes.

White Collar Crimes Defined

The term white collar crime can cover a wide spectrum of behavior. In many cases, it refers to charges involving tax fraud and money laundering.

Essentially, any type of fraud refers to a crime that involves deceit for monetary gain. Tax fraud may exist when an individual or business falsely files tax forms or illegally transfers property to avoid paying taxes, while money laundering is a process where illegally obtained money is put through a series of transactions in an attempt to make it appear legitimate.

Generally, there are three parts of a money laundering crime:
-Money deposited into a bank or other financial institution
-Layers of transactions are added to make it difficult to find the money's origins
-The now "clean" money is mixed with legal money, a process referred to as integration

These and other white collar crimes can be alleged against individuals, businesses or corporations at both a federal and state level. Allegations of money laundering or fraud can be devastating to a business or individual's reputation and should be taken seriously.

If you or a loved one is under investigation for a white collar crime, it is important to contact an experienced white collar crime lawyer to better protect your legal rights.

Article provided by Dziedziak & Marcus, P.C.
Visit us at http://www.dzmlaw.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Grand Rapids Marijuana Decriminalization Effort in Jeopardy

2013-02-01

Grand Rapids marijuana decriminalization effort in jeopardy In November 2012, voters in Grand Rapids approved an initiative that amended the city charter to decriminalize the possession of a small amount of marijuana. The amendment makes the personal possession of marijuana a civil infraction (as opposed to a misdemeanor crime). Though the amendment itself did not specify a cutoff point for when marijuana possession becomes a crime, the city has said that it plans to use a 2.5 ounce threshold, since that is the same limit used under Michigan's medical marijuana law. The ...

Drowsy Driving a Major Safety Hazard for Young People

2013-02-01

Drowsy driving a major safety hazard for young people For many young people, the ability to function on limited sleep is a badge of honor. Whether it's staying up all night to finish a paper, working a late shift or just hanging out late with friends, burning the candle at both ends is a pretty common part of being a young adult in America. Of course, keeping up this behavior for too long can start to take a toll on a person's health. However, there is also a short-term danger that many people are not aware of -- even if the driver is sober, getting behind the wheel ...

When Things Go Awry on a Construction Site Who is Responsible?

2013-02-01

When things go awry on a construction site who is responsible? In January 2013, a 380-foot crane collapsed at a construction site behind the iconic Pepsi sign on the East River shoreline in Long Island City, New York. The crane had been assembled just four days earlier at the site of a luxury apartment tower build. As workers loaded the crane with wood planks, it came crashing to the ground, smashing scaffolding and plywood. Fortunately, only seven workers were injured despite around 70 people being on site at the time. Three workers were trapped under the crane, ...

How to Reduce Risk: Elderly Drivers and Serious Car Accidents

2013-02-01

How to Reduce Risk: Elderly Drivers and Serious Car Accidents The importance of being mobile and independent often grow with age and a part of remaining mobile is the ability to drive, especially for elderly drivers in suburban and rural areas of Pennsylvania. However, drivers age 80 and older have the second highest rate of fatal traffic accidents of any group. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, it's important that driving safety for older drivers is addressed for the well-being of all age groups on the road. Whether a Doctor Should Have Reported a Medical ...

NLRB Ruling Provides New Guidance for Employers' Social Media Policies

2013-02-01

NLRB ruling provides new guidance for employers' social media policies These days, a good online reputation is an invaluable asset for any business. So, employers often -- and rightfully -- find themselves wanting to prevent their employees from making disparaging or negative comments online. To this end, many companies have drafted policies that use preventative strategies govern what their employees can say and do on the Internet, especially with regard to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Increasingly, though, these policies are being struck down by ...

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling May Impact DWI Law in New York

2013-02-01

U.S. Supreme Court ruling may impact DWI law in New York The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments on whether police should be allowed to force drinking and driving suspects to submit to warrantless blood tests without consent. While it is illegal for police in New York to force drivers suspected of DWI to submit to a warrantless blood draw without the driver's consent, half of the states favor the policy and a decision in favor of a warrantless blood test without consent would change New York law. During oral arguments, the Court took issue with the amount of ...

U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Legality of warrantless DUI Blood Draws

2013-02-01

U.S. Supreme Court to decide legality of warrantless DUI blood draws In Arizona it's against the law for police to conduct a warrantless blood draw on a DUI suspect without the suspect's consent. That could change when the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling on the issue sometime this year because half of U.S. states follow a law similar to Arizona's and the other half allow warrantless blood draws without a DUI suspect's consent. Law enforcement is in favor of warrantless blood draws without consent because it allows police to gather blood alcohol levels in a timely manner. ...

Texas Man Receives Prison Sentence For Repeat DWI Offense

2013-02-01

Texas man receives prison sentence for repeat DWI offense A man who had been on probation after four misdemeanor DWI convictions in Washington State found that his luck ran out in Texas when he was arrested in early 2012 with a blood alcohol content of 0.28 -- more than three times the legal limit. Texas authorities charged the man with third-degree felony driving while intoxicated, his fifth DWI charge since 2001, ABC News reported. Explaining that alcohol addiction was the reason for his repeated DWI arrests, the man requested probation and placement in a substance ...

US Supreme Court to Rule on DWI Blood Test Issue

2013-02-01

US Supreme Court to rule on DWI blood test issue The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case addressing whether police are required to obtain a warrant before drawing blood samples from people suspected of driving while intoxicated. Courts and law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are divided on whether warrantless blood draws violate the ban on unreasonable searches and seizures set forth in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment requires police to obtain permission from a judge before conducting most searches and seizures ...

Dividing A Military Pension In A Divorce

2013-02-01

Dividing a military pension in a divorce If you or your spouse is in the military or has a military pension, the property division in your divorce is more complex than most. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, or USFSPA, governs how a military pension and other military benefits are distributed or used in the event of a divorce. Basics of the USFSPA Military disposable retired pay is the service member's monthly retirement benefit -- a military pension. The USFSPA allows state courts to treat a military pension just like any other pension plan ...

Man Charged in Connection to Blagojevich Scandal Gets Minimal Sentence

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: