I didn’t know what a “302” was. Like a lot of the case, I figured it out as we went along. My basic understanding is that an FBI 302 is a report generated from interviewing a potential witness. There was an agreement for “open discovery” between the defense and prosecution. Putting my naivety to work, … read more
Plea Deals
One moment you are charged and very soon after comes the first plea deal. Simply, the prosecutor offers a guilty plea in return for a reduction of the severity of the charges, dismissal of charges and recommendations from the prosecutor regarding sentencing for the defendant or some other concession. What part of the crime can … read more
True Bill
The Grand Jury handed down a true bill. I was officially indicted. It was hard for Dan to tell me I got charged. He knew how likely it was to happen, but Dan never took away my hope. He stopped just short of that. It was unspoken but a fundamental part of the trust and … read more
Former Colleagues Testify At Grand Jury
Brent Testifying In spite of being a target of a federal criminal investigation, Brent made a rare appearance testifying at the Grand Jury. He provided a very thorough presentation explaining that there was no diversion, no intent, no gain, etc.. and that all the investments made by the Fund committee were authorized. I remember hearing … read more
The Power Of The Prosecutor
What little I understood about a prosecutor’s job was from casually watching movies or the local news. My elusive starting point for “who is a prosecutor” was that he/she was a person who conducted a thorough investigation and after all the facts were examined, decided whether to charge someone with a crime. That wasn’t quite … read more
The Investigation
I hired Dan as my legal representative to hopefully implore the Government to look at the facts and realize that I was not involved in a crime. Being a target began to permeate facets of my life and the investigation phase was now in play. I didn’t know how substantive the investigation had been to … read more
Meeting Dan
The day I got the call from the prosecutor, a letter stating the same information was waiting for me in my mailbox. It was the beginning of me no longer enjoying that short walk to see what was in the mailbox. First, I noticed the return address address, the United States Of America. I took … read more
I Don’t Know What To Do
I don’t know what to do, but I had to do something. The only person that truly would understand the bombshell that just happened was Brent. Brent had been the attorney for the fund I was working for which was now the subject of a federal criminal investigation. At the very least, Brent would care … read more
After The Prosecutor’s Call
Leaning against the building that I might not be working in anymore and having just hung up from listening to a prosecutor, I felt like I was barely breathing. I had to have a reality check. My head bent down, I whispered aloud that a prosecutor had just called and told me that I was … read more
The Prosecutor’s Call
It all began with a simple call. I was sitting at my desk on the third floor of the bank building in downtown Raleigh, NC. I worked as a trust advisor in the bank’s trust department. I had been there for a few years. I was good at my job and liked it. The phone … read more
The Case, The Transformation And The Criminal Justice Community
I have three categories that I will write about in this blog. The case is my criminal case that began in 2004 and ended in 2010. It is filled with twists and turns. It’s hard to recall how many times my attorney said that it was such an unusual case. I had no perspective on … read more
Six And A Half Years Of Writing And Hope
I have never done a blog. I hope it’s not too obvious. At some point I realized that I was waiting to begin blogging when I felt bulletproof. Since that day is never coming, I am starting anyway. When I was a defendant, writing was one of the few ways that I got through the … read more
Every Person’s Justice
There needs to be something remarkable about your first blog. It sets the tone and expectation of what is to come. I don’t have all the answers, but I can share my thoughts about being prosecuted for a crime I did not commit. From what I understood, I didn’t fit the stereotypical defendant. I am … read more