Erin C. Dougherty
Former Speaker Hastert Pleads Guilty in Hush-Money Case
This morning, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert appeared in district court in Chicago and pled guilty to one count of violating bank reporting laws. Hastert’s defense counsel had “indicated two weeks ago that he was planning to plead guilty, though the details of the… Read More
Elonis v. United States: The Supreme Court Weighs In On Rap Lyrics, True Threats, and Criminal Intent
Shortly after his wife decided to leave him, 28-year-old Anthony Elonis, under the pseudonym “Tone Dougie,” began posting “self-styled ‘rap’ lyrics” on Facebook that contained “graphically violent language and imagery” concerning, among others, his estranged wife, a kindergarten class, and state and federal law enforcement.… Read More
Judge Ambro Joins White Collar Alert in the Choir “Lament[ing]” Third Circuit’s Erwin Decision
Often as criminal defense attorneys we feel like the lone voice calling out against what we perceive to be cases of injustice. But yesterday Third Circuit Judge Ambro – joined by Judges Rendell, Greenaway, and Vanaskie – gave a nod to White Collar Alert and… Read More
Commission Proposes Limited, Though Significant, Amendments to Fraud Guidelines
As we previously noted, the U.S. Sentencing Commission has been considering changes to the Sentencing Guidelines for economic crimes. This deliberation over Section 2B1.1 stems, in part, from criticism from practitioners, judges, and scholars suggesting that “the fraud [G]uideline[s] may be fundamentally broken.” Indeed, as… Read More
Britain’s Serious Fraud Office Secures First Convictions Under Bribery Act
Last Friday, news came from across the Atlantic that Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) had successfully obtained its first series of convictions under the UK’s Bribery Act of 2010 (the “Bribery Act”), which became effective in July 2011. The SFO reported that a jury had found… Read More
ABA Task Force Proposes Significant Change to Fraud Guidelines
When the U.S. Sentencing Commission adopted the original Sentencing Guidelines in 1987, it sought to ensure that white collar offenders faced “short but definite period[s] of confinement.” U.S. Sentencing Commission, Fifteen Years of Guidelines Sentencing: An Assessment of How Well the Criminal Justice System is… Read More
The SAC Saga Continues: Steinberg Sentenced to 3 1/2 Years in Prison
This afternoon Michael Steinberg, a former SAC portfolio manager who was convicted of insider trading last year, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Sullivan to 42 months in prison. Judge Sullivan also “ordered Steinberg to pay a $2 million fine and forfeit… Read More
Vindication: General Sinclair Sentenced to a Reprimand and $20K Fine
Today marks the end of what The New York Times recently called “a textbook example of justice gone awry.” Thankfully, justice was not completely absent from the courtroom this morning. During yesterday’s closing statements, prosecutors argued that General Sinclair should be thrown out of the… Read More
New York Times Classifies Sinclair Case as a “Textbook Example of Justice Gone Awry” as Army Agrees to Dismissal of Sexual Assault Charges
If you’ve been following White Collar Alert’s recent coverage of the rare court-martial faced by U.S. Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, then you know that members of Montgomery McCracken’s Government Investigations and White Collar Crime practice group (and fellow White Collar Alert contributors) are serving… Read More
NY Times Reports Case Against BG Sinclair “Founder[ing]”
As noted in my post last week, members of our Government Investigations and White Collar Crime practice group are representing U.S. Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, former deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne, who faces a rare court martial in Fort Bragg, N.C. for allegedly… Read More