I have written about the finger-in-the-chili case several times, including this post , and this one, and this one.
Now, Anna and her husband have been sentenced to nine years in prison. Read more here.
I said early on that if this woman (or anyone else) falsifies a claim in an effort to get money they deserve some jail time. And I still believe it. But I think nine years is outrageous, especially when one weighs that sentence against the time other criminals have received for crimes I consider to have imposed a far greater impact on society.
William Owens, the CFO for Healthsouth who admitted to playing a role in a $2.7 billion dollar financial scheme, received a 5 year sentence. Weston Smith, a former financial officer for Healthsouth, received a 27 month sentence. Assistant controller Emery Harris received a 5 month sentence for his role in the scandal. (Read more here.)
Rick Camp, a former pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, received “only” 37 months in prison “for conspiring to steal more than $2 million from a mental health agency.”
Scott Sullivan got five years for his role in the WorldCom scandal.
Former Boeing CFO Micheal Sears got 4 months in prison (and a $250,000 fine) for defense procurement improprieties.
The list could go on and on.
Once again, I am not in any way suggesting that this couple should not be punished with a jail sentence. They should; their conduct was inexecusable and illegal. But when one looks at the sentences received by some white-collar criminals who perpetrated massive, economy-shaking fraud one cannot help but wonder if the criminal justice system is out of whack.