$400 MILLION in restitution? HOW?

[2LaneCruzer]

Today's news had a story about that 25 year old guy who set fire to the submarine USS Miami because he wanted to leave work early. The judge sentenced him to 17 years in prison and ordered him to pay 400 million bucks in restitution. I'm obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed, but when he serves his required 17 years and gets out of prison, how does a 42 year old convicted felon ever begin to earn $400,000,000.00? According to my Social Security statements, after working for 37 years at various jobs, I barely earned a million bucks BEFORE taxes.

It has always baffled me why judges order such huge sums to be paid in restitution by criminals who probably will not be able to repay a dime on the dollar owed, if that much. So why do they even bother to order the restitution?

Banker: "Well, Mr. Smurd, we've just been reviewing your application for a business loan. You're asking for $250,000 to start a roofing business. It seems you served 17 years in prison and have a $400,000,000 judgement (not counting interest) against you; aside from the rights to your memoirs, your only collateral is an appeal on a lawsuit in which you asked for back payment of unemployment. Let's see now...first we'll have to sign you up with an account as a new customer..."

[DABSGT]

Banker: "Well, Mr. Smurd, we've just been reviewing your application for a business loan. You're asking for $250,000 to start a roofing business. It seems you served 17 years in prison and have a $400,000,000 judgement (not counting interest) against you; aside from the rights to your memoirs, your only collateral is an appeal on a lawsuit in which you asked for back payment of unemployment. Let's see now...first we'll have to sign you up with an account as a new customer..."

Yep that is the guy who will get the loan!

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[ghenges]

Today's news had a story about that 25 year old guy who set fire to the submarine USS Miami because he wanted to leave work early. The judge sentenced him to 17 years in prison and ordered him to pay 400 million bucks in restitution. I'm obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed, but when he serves his required 17 years and gets out of prison, how does a 42 year old convicted felon ever begin to earn $400,000,000.00? According to my Social Security statements, after working for 37 years at various jobs, I barely earned a million bucks BEFORE taxes.
Be baffled no more.

It has always baffled me why judges order such huge sums to be paid in restitution by criminals who probably will not be able to repay a dime on the dollar owed, if that much. So why do they even bother to order the restitution?

Basically, the restitution judgement is for lifetime probation.
The man will be on probation until restitution is paid in full, so essentially the man is under Federal scrutiny for the rest of his life.
His every dollar after he leaves prison (and even while he is in prison) will be monitored.
Basically he will be allowed the Federal allowance for living expenses and the rest of his income will be confiscated.

The fool paid a high price for his idiocy and his unpatriotic act.

[TCJatko]

I got 14.92 for 2 consecutive months(29.84 total) in restitution for the guy who flipped my truck on the highway. He hit me from behind doing over a hundred MPH. My truck rolled 385 feet end over end. I lost the truck, everything in it, and 6 months of work. But I did get my full 29.84.--------9 years later.

Congratulations! I guess you'll finally be able to retire now.

[ghenges]

And more than likely he won't serve 17 years either!

With credit for good conduct the minimum time served will be 14-1/2 years and one day. LINK
He'll serve every day of it.

My question is as to what level of prison will he be housed, my guess he will not do his time in a minimum security Federal Prison Camp facility, he'll probably be housed in a rougher medium security prison.

And for smaller crimes, restitution is seldom ordered.

Restitution is generally ordered, not seldomly ordered.
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For all of you 'lock 'em up and throw away the key types' something to ponder:

Do a stretch yourself and guaranteed you'll come away with a different frame of mind.
But for just plain dumb luck a lot of you have committed crimes too that could have gotten you a stretch, don't be so hard on the guy. And for the rest of you squeaky clean guys -- get a life.

[ghenges]

I got 14.92 for 2 consecutive months(29.84 total) in restitution for the guy who flipped my truck on the highway. He hit me from behind doing over a hundred MPH. My truck rolled 385 feet end over end. I lost the truck, everything in it, and 6 months of work. But I did get my full 29.84.--------9 years later.

You came away with something vastly more valuable -- your life. Be thankful.

Not excusing the incident that harmed you, but the instant we enter the highway we should be aware of the risk and be willing to accept the consequences of driving a vehicle.
You were unlucky. Wrong place, right time.

Please forgive the person that harmed you.
The fruitless quest for "justice" has ruined many a life.

I remember Maury Povich sticking a microphone in the face of an Amish elder after 5 Amish children on the way home from a birthday party were killed by an unlicensed teenager.
Povich asked if lawsuits would be brought, the elder replied succinctly -- "will money bring the children back?") Povich stood there stunned and stupid.
The Amish elder (and the Amish community) had already passed the children on to God. No amount of justice seeking or revenge would change the fact, the children are gone. Buck it up and get on with living and most importantly forgive the person that caused the harm.

[DABSGT]

Do a stretch yourself and guaranteed you'll come away with a different frame of mind..

If that were true why is the number of repeat offenders so high? What frame of do they have returning to society?

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[2LaneCruzer]

With credit for good conduct the minimum time served will be 14-1/2 years and one day. LINK
He'll serve every day of it.

My question is as to what level of prison will he be housed, my guess he will not do his time in a minimum security Federal Prison Camp facility, he'll probably be housed in a rougher medium security prison.


Restitution is generally ordered, not seldomly ordered.
---------------------------------------
For all of you 'lock 'em up and throw away the key types' something to ponder:

Do a stretch yourself and guaranteed you'll come away with a different frame of mind.
But for just plain dumb luck a lot of you have committed crimes too that could have gotten you a stretch, don't be so hard on the guy. And for the rest of you squeaky clean guys -- get a life.

By what authority, moral or otherwise, do you presume to lecture the "squeaky clean and lock em up and throw away the keys guys"? No doubt a stretch in the place would change a lot of perspectives, but then most have not set fire to a submarine causing $400,000,000 worth of damage. As for forgiveness, the government has not forgiven the guy, and won't even after he serves his stretch...as for forgiveness for me and mine, there is none without repentence. Do me wrong and I never forget. I will try to let go of the hate and bitterness and even put it on the back shelf, but unconditional forgiveness? No.

[dave1949]

How does a doof like this guy get anywhere near a nuke sub that is worth over $1 billion? He set the fire because he wanted to get off work early to see his girlfriend.

I worked a six month IT project on that base, the paper work to get a pass onto the base is a pain and I was already holding a top secret NATO clearance. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the subs.

[jimmyj]

How does a doof like this guy get anywhere near a nuke sub that is worth over $1 billion? He set the fire because he wanted to get off work early to see his girlfriend.

Dave, that's exactly what I was wondering!