Wendy's Finger Case - Pair Sentenced
I have written about the finger-in-the-chili case several times, including this post , and this one, and this one.
Now, Anna and her husband have been sentenced to nine years in prison. Read more here.
I said early on that if this woman (or anyone else) falsifies a claim in an effort to get money they deserve some jail time. And I still believe it. But I think nine years is outrageous, especially when one weighs that sentence against the time other criminals have received for crimes I consider to have imposed a far greater impact on society.
William Owens, the CFO for Healthsouth who admitted to playing a role in a $2.7 billion dollar financial scheme, received a 5 year sentence. Weston Smith, a former financial officer for Healthsouth, received a 27 month sentence. Assistant controller Emery Harris received a 5 month sentence for his role in the scandal. (Read more here.)
Rick Camp, a former pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, received "only" 37 months in prison "for conspiring to steal more than $2 million from a mental health agency."
Scott Sullivan got five years for his role in the WorldCom scandal.
Former Boeing CFO Micheal Sears got 4 months in prison (and a $250,000 fine) for defense procurement improprieties.
The list could go on and on.
Once again, I am not in any way suggesting that this couple should not be punished with a jail sentence. They should; their conduct was inexecusable and illegal. But when one looks at the sentences received by some white-collar criminals who perpetrated massive, economy-shaking fraud one cannot help but wonder if the criminal justice system is out of whack.
I disagree with the slant of your analysis, John. This couple deserves a harsh sentence. What they did was more harmful than a single incident of attempted fraud. It undermined public faith in the legal system. I think the real complaint is that the white-collar criminals got off too light for doing things that had similar effects on society.
I do not disagree with you, TL. The point I was trying to make was that Anna's sentence - compared with others - was too long. If we start putting white collar criminals who (a) undermine the stability of the financial markets or (b) make decisions that cause physical harm or death to human beings in prison for extended terms the sentence for Anna would be reasonable.
When was the last time a corporate executive was sentenced to prison for engaging in activity that caused injury or death? Where is the criminal prosecution of these people?
What was your purpose of writing the chili finger case article?