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Government: Punish Council aide worse than Fumo

Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.

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Government: Punish Council aide worse than Fumo

POSTED: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 1:20 PM

Jeff Shields

The U.S. Attorney's Office wants a 6 1/2 year sentence for former City Council aide Chris Wright, a punishment that would exceed former state Sen. Vincent Fumo by nearly two years.

Calling Fumo's 55-month sentence a "travesty," assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bresnick argued in a court filing Monday night that Wright, former chief of staff to Councilman Jack Kelly, deserves much more than the 27- to 33-month sentence recommended in the federal probation officer's presentencing report.

"A federal jury of Christopher Wright's peers has declared loudly and unmistakeably that he has violated the public's trust by depriving it of his fair, honest and impartial services as a public employee," Bresnick argued in the U.S. Attorney's sentencing memorandum.

Wright was convicted Feb. 24 on three of 13 counts that accused him of conspiring to sell his services as Kelly's top aide to developers Hardeep Chawla and Ravinder Chawla and Andrew Teitelman, the Chawla brothers' company attorney who doubled at Kelly's campaign treasurer. Ravinder Chawla and Teitelman were also convicted on conspiracy charges, while Hardeep Chawla was acquitted.

Wright is scheduled for sentencing Monday, Chawla and Teitelman the first week in September. U.S. Judge Eduardo Robreno has yet to rule on the defendant's motions to throw out the jury verdict based on insufficient evidence.

Throughout the trial, Wright and the Chawlas argued that a $1,000 check given by the Chawlas to Wright was a simply a gift between friends, and his use of an apartment in a building they once owned just a place to stay while Wright went through a nasty divorce. Wright was in the apartment for 14 months while the new owners tried to evict him.

Prosecutors are obviously concerned about the potential precedent set by the Fumo sentencing.

Fumo was convicted in March on 137 counts of conspiracy and fraud for defrauding the state Senate, the South Philadelphia nonprofit he controlled, and the Independence Seaport Museum. He was also found guilty of conspiring to obstruct the FBI and IRS investigation. Prosecutors accused him of cheating the various entities out of $4.3 million. U.S. Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter determined Fumo's fraud to be worth only $2.3 million. That's 100 times more than the $23,000 Wright is accused of benefiting in free rent, free parking and the $1,000 check -- none of that coming out of the government or non-profits.

Buckwalter sentenced Fumo to 55 months in prison.

Ruth Arnao, who ran Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, the South Philadelphia non-profit they were both convicted of defrauding, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison following her conviction on all 45 counts against her.

Bresnick urged Judge Robreno not to consider the Fumo sentence, even though federal sentencing guidelines advise judges to consider "the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct." Bresnick instead pointed to the 10-year sentence handed former city Treasurer Corey Kemp and the 78-months given former City Councilman Rick Mariano.

"The Fumo sentence was...a travesty," Bresnick wrote. "Besides imposing insufficient punishment for the offenses at issue, its worst legacy will arise if other judges follow that court's mistaken lead, and use the Fumo sentence as a baseline for public corruption offenses."

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Comments (9)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:58 PM, 08/04/2009

Sure, throw the book at this poor schlub while Vinny gets a 4 year paid vacation. If the prosecutors are upset with Vince's sentence, they need to grow balls and a spine and take it over their bosses' heads. They talk the talk....

— JStocker

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:04 PM, 08/04/2009

10 years for Corey Kemp...6 and 1/2 years for Rick Mariano...you better believe that Vinny Smoke (5.5 years...maybe) greased somebody's wheels...can you say omerta?

— feudi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:18 PM, 08/04/2009

Sen. Fumo used his considerable power and influence to push his judge into an insult to justice low sentence. Fumo will serve his time in confort and emerge from prision as a highly paid political consultant for people who wish to run for elected office in Philadelphia (just like his Uncle Buddy Cianfranni did).

— equalityman

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:19 PM, 08/04/2009

It's a sad day in Philadelphia when lawyers srate arguing about lenient jail sentences given to convicted government officials. It makes Philadelphia look like a rat hole of corruption. Perhaps it is.

— DonQ

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:26 PM, 08/04/2009

Looks like Latrice Bryant is having a Goode recession! http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/investigative/Councilman_Aide_Paycheck

— Kaiser Sosa

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:28 PM, 08/04/2009

Perhaps? Philadelphia IS a rat hole of corruption. Get some guts and get out.

— SmartlyGone

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:49 PM, 08/04/2009

The number for the President's Comment Line is 1-202-456-1111. Drop a dime on "Vince the Prince"...ask for more charges to be brought against both Fumo and Arnao. Send them to the worst Federal hell hole possible. I bet that would make alot of "CHUMPTED" U.S. Attorneys happy :-) We can not let the corruption stand and call ourselves AMERICANs. Make a call...see if President Obama lives up to his hype. We all could sure use a change for a better America...right here and right now. Then when Mr. OPM is looking at alot more years in the Federal Penn...he'll roll over on Rendell and all the other "Elected Thieves and Betrayors". Eric Holder, the new U.S. Attorney General should treat this like one big "RICO" case. 12 days for each of the 137 Federal Convictions! Ladies and Gentilmen...THE MOON, HOLDS IT'S NOISE WHEN IT PASSES OVER "KILLADELPHIA", BECAUSE IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN OF CORRUPTION! Call the President's Comments Line...He's got to Stop this Corruption! The U.S. Federal Justice System just proved it can’t FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A WEEK! Dear U.S. Attorneys...Great JOB and Thankyou!!! But you've been PUNKed!!! It's time for the new U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, to send a little message of his own! Question, Mr. Holder...which is stronger...the United States Federal Justice System...or Corrupted and Content Philadelphia? We shall see.

— John Law

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:51 PM, 08/07/2009

Not everyone in city hall is corrupt and sometimes innocent people can go to jail. Chris Wright is not Senator Fumo or any of the other corrupt politicians that have been in the news. Don't make him the poster boy for other judges bad decisions. The light sentencing recommended for Chris Wright is because he was convicted only on 3 counts out of 13. He never defrauded the city of Philadelphia and he never sold his services. They say he benefited $23,000 in free rent and parking. That's a stretch!!! He was basically squatting in a run down apartment with mice running around, sleeping on a mattress on the floor with no hot water most of the time. There are always two sides to a story, his side never got told in the papers. The jury did not speak loudly and unmistakenly that he violated the city's trust not when they only convict him 3 out of 13 charges. No, instead after days of deliberating on a very confusing case they quietly and mistakenly said "he must be quilty of something lets pick these three charges and go home." Chris Wright has lost his job, his 20 year pension, his name smeared in the papers, he's broke and in debt for thousands of dollars in legal fees. I think he's been punished enough, Mr. Bresnick!!!

— tmmw