Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth
According to the plea agreement again, the maximum fine is twice the gross gain. And obviously I know how to read, my point is that "appropriate" has to be defined in terms of what the law provides.
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Let's split hairs for another week and ignore the 600 pound gorilla in the room. Regardless, the fine has a statutory max on what Mastro pleaded guilty to. Had he been required to plead to a different charge the fine could have been significantly bigger. Same with the maximum statutory period of incarceration. Had he been required to plead to a different charge he could have been facing 20 years and his guidelines significantly higher. Just because prosecutors reached a plea agreement does not suggest for a second that they believe the evidence of fraud is not more significant than what is in the agreement. That's just what they settled on to get rid of the case.