Category Archives: Sentencing

Former Aide to Madagascan President Sentenced for Soliciting Bribes Under UK Bribery Act

by Pamela Reddy, Robin Spedding, and Matthew Unsworth

Left to Right: Pamela Reddy, Robin Spedding, and Matthew Unsworth (photos courtesy of Latham & Watkins LLP)

Sentencing of Romy Andrianarisoa, the first ever foreign public official to be convicted under the UK Bribery Act of 2010, provides important takeaways.

On 10 May 2024, Romy Andrianarisoa was sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment for soliciting bribes contrary to Section 2 of the Bribery Act 2010 (Bribery Act). Andrianarisoa, former Chief of Staff to President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar, requested substantial cash payments in exchange for helping UK-headquartered Gemfields Group Ltd (Gemfields) secure mining rights in the country. Her associate, French national Philippe Tabuteau, was also handed a 27-month sentence for his role in the scheme.

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Former Prosecutors and Industry Experts React to Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Verdict

The NYU School of Law Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement (PCCE) is following the collapse of FTX and the civil and criminal enforcement actions arising from FTX’s and its founder’s alleged misconduct. In this post, several white collar defense, former federal prosecutors, and cryptocurrency experts, offer their reactions to the verdict in the Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) trial on November 2, 2023.

Top left to right: William Komaroff, Seetha Ramachandran, David I. Miller, and Ijeoma Okoli
Bottom left to right: Jessica Lonergan, Tarek Helou, Elizabeth Roper, and Chehak Gogia
(Photos courtesy of authors)

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What Every Attorney Needs to Know About Federal Prison After a Conviction or Plea

by Walter A. Pavlo, Jr.

(Photo courtesy of the author)

Since many of those indicted end up pleading guilty or are convicted, it is imperative that attorneys know something about the federal prison system. We all realize that even the best-case outcome sometimes includes a term of incarceration.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) operates 122 facilities across the United States, many of these institutions are in rural parts of the country. For those who are convicted of economic crimes, they are primarily placed in minimum security prisons, also known as “camps.” However, those with longer sentences (10, 20, or 30 years), even when there is no previous criminal history and involve an economic crime, can find themselves in a low, medium or high security facility. A sentence of 10 years will result in a camp placement.

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The First Step Act Shortens Federal Prison Sentences, Including Elizabeth Holmes’

by Walter A. Pavlo, Jr.

(Photo courtesy of the author)

Elizabeth Holmes, of Theranos fame, surrendered to the federal prison camp FPC Bryan in Texas on May 30, 2023 to begin a 135-month sentence for fraud.[1] Media outlets followed her attempts to postpone her surrender to prison while she appealed her conviction but ultimately those efforts failed. However, a prison term after the sweeping First Step Act means that federal prison sentences, particularly for white collar offenders, has dramatically changed. Even those with long prison terms could be home much sooner than they would have under older federal laws.

This article will focus on the application of the First Step Act to Ms. Holmes’ sentence, not to degrade her, but because she simply is a high-profile name with a high-profile sentence. The same principles used here can be used on any federal sentence with a similar charge.[2]

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