Opinion ID: 2708859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Explanation of the Sentence

Text: Then it was the judge’s turn to impose the sentence and explain it. He reviewed accurately the legal framework for sentencing under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and the Sentencing Guidelines. He outlined the case in terms of those factors, beginning with the nature and circumstances of the offense, focusing on the 22 years of fraud in the charges, the hundreds 8 Nos. 10-3406 & 12-1361 of victims, and the tens of millions of dollars in losses. He then got to the heart of his thinking about the offense: In my view, the total offense level grossly under- states the seriousness of the defendant’s criminal conduct. Upon reading all of the letters that were submitted on behalf of some of the victims and listening to the statements of some of the victims in this Court, it is abundantly clear that the defendant purposely targeted a group of people, many elderly people with strong ethnic traditions in this case, people that had immigrated here from Italy. These strong ethnic traditions included life-long hard work, doggedly saving their earnings, all to provide security for themselves, their children and to perhaps leave a financial legacy to their children and their grandchildren.