4 ms·

I'm not. As near as I can tell from objective sources, Birkenfeld: 1) Deserved the money 2) Did not deserve prison. You can't equate those.

• tptacek 10y ago
  Unless I'm misreading, he's a bank executive who smuggled diamonds internationally to held a Russian oligarch avoid US taxes. Why exactly are you immunizing him?
  • Lazare 10y ago
    To clarify: I don't feel that he deserved prison for what he was accused of and eventually pled guilty to in a plea bargain, given the totality of the circumstances. Which was not, unless I'm misreading, anything to do with diamond smuggling. Mind you, it's possible he plead guilty to what seems (to me) as vaguely absurd charges to avoid a much harsher penalty for the diamond smuggling and such.
  • random314 10y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Olenicoff#Tax_evasion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Olenicoff#Tax_evasion Prosecutors were extremely reluctant to prosecute the oligarch and didn't want him in jail. However they were pretty vigorous with his banker!
• nickpsecurity 10y ago
  He aided tax evasion for U.S. and other companies. IRS threatened to come after me for about $1.20 once. No kidding. This guy helping them disguise tens of millions to billions... who knows amount... in taxes they owed? "Did not deserve prison." Oh no, I think the scumbag did. His bosses deserved a longer sentence, too. Although, they're doing what their country makes a lot of money on. So maybe heroes of private industry over there. ;)