The average prison sentence in similar bank-fraud cases was about 31 months.
By Justin Jouvenal , Justin Jouvenal Reporter covering courts, policing and technology Email Bio Follow Julie Tate and Julie Tate Researcher Email Bio Follow Rachel Weiner Rachel Weiner Local reporter covering federal court in Alexandria, Va. and local court in Arlington and Alexandria.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in the Eastern District of Virginia surprised many when he sharply departed from federal sentencing guidelines, which called for Manafort to be given from 19 to 24 years in prison for eight counts of bank and tax fraud, as well as failing to report a foreign bank account.
Ellis noted that Manafort had no prior criminal record. The judge also appeared to find persuasive cases cited by Manafort’s attorneys in which major tax evaders got little or no prison time. Ellis ruled that Manafort’s sentencing guidelines were properly calculated under this new regime but said he could not ignore the past. “The government cannot sweep away the history of all these previous sentences,” he said.
Mihailis E. Diamantis, an associate professor of law at the University of Iowa, agreed, saying the case exposes inequity in the justice system that is not unique to Manafort’s case.
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