Ex-HealthSouth CFO Gets 5 Years Probation

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=5463108

Ex-HealthSouth CFO Gets 5 Years Probation
Sat Jun 19, 2004 04:19 PM ET
By Verna Gates

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Reuters) - A federal judge on Saturday sentenced former HealthSouth Corp. Chief Financial Officer Michael Martin to five years probation for his role in the company's massive accounting scandal, again ignoring the government's recommendations for jail time.

Judge U.W. Clemon also fined Martin $50,000 and ordered him to forfeit gains of $2,375,000. The prosecution had asked for five years in prison, protesting what it considered extreme leniency in sentencing.

Nine other HealthSouth executives who pleaded guilty in the fraud have been sentenced. Only one - Emery Harris - has received jail time, for five months.

Martin had pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud and to filing false books and records in what the government called a scheme by a group of HealthSouth officers to deliberately overstate earnings by $2.7 billion over several years.

What kind of message would that send? Republicans, when sentenced by Republican-appointed judges, deserve a second chance. Democrats, on the other hand, should have the phone book thrown at them.

isnt that like a poor republican?


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