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“I survived a gunshot wound and a federal prosecution. By focusing on a proactive mitigation strategy, I was able to avoid prison entirely.”
How do you prepare for federal bank fraud sentencing?
Anthony Nelson read about every other defendant in his Maryland bank fraud conspiracy in the newspaper.
"I saw all the other defendants in the newspaper and read about the whole case. I felt like my life was coming to an end. It was like I was suddenly living in another world."
A few months into his case, he found White Collar Advice on YouTube. He wanted to know what probation would ask him, what prison would look like, and what would happen to his family and his sneaker business.
The shooting
At 25, Anthony was shot during an attempted armed robbery. PTSD followed. So did lean, a liquid mix containing opioids. He later moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, sold sneakers online, and joined the conspiracy.
Before any of that, he attended Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C., played football, and marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. His paychecks from the D.C. Housing Authority and EYA Construction went toward his mother's bills. His narrative covered those years, the shooting, the fraud, and the father he intended to be for his daughter.
"It really helped to see my whole life put together like that."
Talking about the shooting and the lean was harder for Anthony than talking about the fraud. He wanted drug treatment in prison, so probation needed that history. We rehearsed those questions before his presentence interview.
Brad from our team had been through addiction and federal prison himself. They spoke while Anthony was on the road to a court date.
"I was on the way to New York for a court appearance. Brad talked about his experience going through the system and how he overcame addiction. It was very helpful."
A new broken window
Shortly before sentencing, Anthony violated the conditions of his release. His statement to the judge was already written. It owned the bank fraud and apologized for the harm. It said nothing about what he had just done.
Federal Judge Stephen Bough once described responsibility to us through a child who breaks a window. The child apologizes, helps sweep up the glass, and takes responsibility for the repair. Anthony had broken a second window while waiting to be sentenced for the first. He rewrote the statement to own both.
"Having that statement gave me courage during the hearing. It made me feel like I came prepared to face everything."
Surrender after the holidays
Anthony's advisory guideline range was 51 to 63 months. The judge sentenced him to 25.
"The judge like the letter a lot. She mentioned it several times during the sentencing."
She let him surrender after the holidays and recommended RDAP, the Bureau of Prisons' residential drug treatment program. The BOP decides who gets in.
Anthony plans to rebuild the sneaker business with his computer skills. He also wants to do for someone else what Brad did for him on that drive to New York.
Pull up the statement you wrote for your judge. Check the date you wrote it, then list everything that has happened since. Bring both lists to a $500 diagnostic call, and we will go through them with you.
Thank you,
Justin Paperny
Written by
Justin Paperny
Founder White Collar Advice