b*****e
发帖数: 53215 | 1 特别是最后自辨那段 笑死劳资了
CHICAGO -- Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds of Illinois is headed back to
prison for a third time in his ill-fated career after a federal judge
sentenced him Thursday to six months behind bars for failing to file tax
returns.
The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman marked the
end of a nearly three-year legal saga that has seen the former Democratic
congressman jailed for violating bond, accused by prosecutors of launching a
smear campaign on social media and reprimanded by two judges for failing to
abide by the court's rules.
Reynolds, 66, who acted as his own attorney, kept his hands clasped behind
his back and showed no outward reaction to the sentence. In his remarks to
the court, he touted his service to the country, telling the judge he'd been
unfairly painted by prosecutors as disrespectful of America and the
judicial system.
"I'm still the kid who gets choked up when he hears 'The Star-Spangled
Banner,' " Reynolds said.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, however, Reynolds said he was "done
with America" and planned to move back to South Africa with his daughter as
soon as he completed his sentence. He sounded a familiar refrain in
claiming that the case against him was motivated at least in part by a
racist judicial system.
"I'm going to do this time, and I'm going home to Africa," Reynolds said in
the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. "That's just how it is. I've given
up on America because how long do African-Americans put up with this
nonsense? No matter what you think of my sentence - or me - why is there
such a bias when it comes to sentencing African-Americans?"
The six-month term imposed by Gettleman - well below the two years sought by
prosecutors - included credit for two months Reynolds already served in
custody. He was ordered to report to prison Aug. 1.
Once a rising political star, Reynolds had a spectacular fall from grace in
1995 when he was convicted of having sex with an underage campaign intern
and trying to cover it up. While he was serving a five-year sentence in that
case, Reynolds was convicted again for illegally raising campaign cash
while in Congress and defrauding banks out of hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
Reynolds' most recent legal woes arose in June 2015 when he was charged with
four misdemeanor counts alleging he failed to file tax returns from 2009
through 2012.
According to evidence in Reynold's trial in September, he'd earned at least
$500,000 during those years working as a consultant on business ventures in
Africa on behalf of two prominent Chicago businessmen - clout-heavy
developer Elzie Higginbottom and businessman Willie Wilson, the owner of a
medical supplies company who is running for Chicago mayor.
Mel Reynolds leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on July 30, 2015,
after a hearing. The former congressman is headed back to prison for a
third time in his ill-fated career after a federal judge sentenced him on
Thursday, May 10, 2018, to six months behind bars for failing to file tax
returns. Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS Mel Reynolds leaves the Dirksen U
.S. Courthouse in Chicago on July 30, 2015, after a hearing. The former
congressman is headed back to prison for a third time in his ill-fated
career after a federal judge sentenced him on Thursday, May 10, 2018, to six
months behind bars for failing to file tax returns.
Reynolds argued that the money was for travel and other expenses, and
therefore was not income and did not need to be reported to the Internal
Revenue Service. Prosecutors, however, called that a "fairy tale," taking
Gettleman through pages of Reynolds' bank statements showing how money was
being spent after the checks were deposited.
Among the charges were sports tickets at Michigan State University, where
his daughter was attending college, as well as charges to Chicago-area pizza
restaurants, clothing stores and an online order for the "Hip Hop Abs"
exercise program, the records showed.
After a four-day bench trial in September, Gettleman convicted Reynolds on
all four counts.
In a filing earlier this year, prosecutors asked for a stiff two-year prison
sentence, noting not only Reynolds' lengthy criminal history but also his
impressive resume as a lawmaker and businessman and educational background
as a Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar.
"Frankly, at the end of the day, (Reynolds) knew better," the prosecution
filing said. "He knew enough to know that he had earned substantial income
as a consultant, and he knew enough to know that he should have filed tax
returns reporting that income."
Reynolds took issue with that notion in a court filing this week, accusing
prosecutors of trying to punish him for rising up out of "abject poverty" to
become an Oxford graduate and U.S. congressman. He also reverted to attacks
on Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas, whom Reynolds accused of "selective
prosecution" in pursuing a case against him while ignoring what he alleged
to be wrongdoing by Higginbottom and Wilson.
In court Thursday, Reynolds choked up at times as he spoke about his life,
including his upbringing in rural Mississippi, his dedication to fighting
racism and the difficulties of raising children as a single parent. He asked
the judge for a chance to "restart" his life and said there was "no point"
for him to spend any more time in prison.
"How does the country benefit from that?" Reynolds said. "My life has not
been perfect, but I've tried my very best. ... I've done my country well."
Reynolds also noted that his legal troubles have taken a toll on him
mentally and financially. In his sentencing memo, he said he has a number of
serious health issues and is "virtually homeless," staying in a motel until
he can find other accommodations.
"Defendant at this point does (not) even own a suit," Reynolds wrote.
Gettleman said he followed Reynolds' meteoric political rise and fall in the
1990s. The judge said it was clear from Reynolds' court arguments that he
was a "terrific orator."
"I can see why you were elected," Gettleman said.
But the judge said he struggled to understand how someone with Reynolds'
intelligence and sophistication had once again found himself afoul of the
law.
"It's really a tragedy that you squandered the opportunities that you had
and the type of person that you could have become," Gettleman said. | a**e
发帖数: 8800 | 2 Reynolds said he was "done with America" and planned to move back to South
Africa with his daughter as soon as he completed his sentence.
"I'm going to do this time, and I'm going home to Africa," Reynolds said in
the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. "That's just how it is. I've given
up on America because how long do African-Americans put up with this
nonsense? No matter what you think of my sentence - or me - why is there
such a bias when it comes to sentencing African-Americans?"
真正心理强大的人。他会不会成为南非的议员以致南非总统？
the
a
to
【在 b*****e 的大作中提到】
: 特别是最后自辨那段 笑死劳资了
: CHICAGO -- Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds of Illinois is headed back to
: prison for a third time in his ill-fated career after a federal judge
: sentenced him Thursday to six months behind bars for failing to file tax
: returns.
: The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman marked the
: end of a nearly three-year legal saga that has seen the former Democratic
: congressman jailed for violating bond, accused by prosecutors of launching a
: smear campaign on social media and reprimanded by two judges for failing to
: abide by the court's rules.
| r**********f
发帖数: 2808 | 3 圣母就是不一样。 和未成年人性关系，诈骗，有三年捞外块却不报税，。。。 一旦被
判了，都是因为他是黑人，不是因为他做了坏事，真是innocent。 | T*********I
发帖数: 10729 | 4 "I'm going to do this time"
表白的就像是能走但不走非要义无反顾地光荣就义一样。
The six-month term imposed by Gettleman - well below the two years sought by
prosecutors - included credit for two months Reynolds already served in
custody. He was ordered to report to prison Aug. 1.
就剩下四个月的刑期还是远远低于控方要的两年还他吗往racial上拽。
人渣永远无法被说服。看来只能是我服了。 | D***I
发帖数: 1957 | 5 左叉做这些事情都认为是正常的，因为他们眼里根本就没有法律的存在
有的只有拍脑门，想啥是啥
【在 r**********f 的大作中提到】
: 圣母就是不一样。 和未成年人性关系，诈骗，有三年捞外块却不报税，。。。 一旦被
: 判了，都是因为他是黑人，不是因为他做了坏事，真是innocent。
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