Posted on 09/16/2010 10:48:52 AM PDT by Colofornian
Denver • Admitted Ponzi-schemer Shawn Merriman was sentenced Tuesday to 12½ years in prison during an emotion-filled hearing that included an appeal from his mother, one of his victims, to “make him pay.”
About 30 victims of the former Mormon bishop’s $20 million fraud packed a federal courtroom in downtown Denver for more than seven hours of testimony and arguments.
Six victims spoke to the court, expressing anger and outrage.
“He had me convinced he was an honest guy, that I could trust him. I put money in, and the rest is history. It’s all gone,” said Davis McCann of Parker, Colo., turning to Merriman. “I worked in construction for 20 years for $8 to $10 an hour. For every day I worked, you stole it from me. Every dime.”
Merriman pleaded guilty in December to one count of mail fraud after surrendering to authorities in March 2009. He admitted to taking money from 67 investors and using it to fund a lavish lifestyle and to pay off initial investors with latter investors’ money.
The government seized roughly $4 million in fine art, including Rembrandt prints, as well as antique cars, sports memorabilia and animal trophies collected on safari trips.
The assets remain in the government’s hands but eventually will be auctioned, with proceeds going to victims.
The maximum sentence for the mail-fraud charge was 20 years, but Merriman’s cooperation with investigators led the government to seek a sentence of 12½ years. Merriman’s attorney asked the court for a sentence of just under six years.
U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Krieger rejected a key government claim that Merriman was not only a fund manager but an investment adviser, and thus deserved more time behind bars.
Krieger gave Merriman a harsher prison term than federal guidelines required, citing his betrayal of family, friends and LDS Church members, and the risk that he might reoffend. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said last year that Merriman had been excommunicated.
Under the sentence, Merriman will also face three years of supervision when he gets out of jail.
“These circumstances involve more than the theft of money from the victims,” Krieger said. “He also has stolen their hopes and dreams and security.”
“This was 14 years of criminal activity. I am not sure that Mister Merriman knows how to do anything but this,” Krieger said.
In his remarks to the court before sentencing, Merriman apologized to investors and his family.
“I can never forget the look on my 9-year-old son’s face when I told him what I had done. I broke his heart,” he said.
“For too many years, I was too proud to admit my own shortcomings and my own mistakes,” he said.
News sources have reported that $1.4 billion worth of fraud has occurred among Lds members in the past few years.
From the article: Krieger gave Merriman a harsher prison term than federal guidelines required, citing his betrayal of family, friends and LDS Church members, and the risk that he might reoffend. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said last year that Merriman had been excommunicated.
The Chargers should have traded this jerk. I hate his “Lights Out” sack dance. He had one or two good seasons and that’s all. He is always getting into trouble off the field. First Tila Tequila and now this. Sheeesh.
Too bad he couldn’t have just printed enough money to pay off his investors...
I provided my understanding of one sort of fraud perpetrated against Mormons by members of a different church who infiltrate stakes ~ and found there were SOME FREEPERS who thought this a totally unwelcome and anti-Mormon intrusion.
They're Still Here guys ~ and it will take the form of a "sound investment" ~ either in property (Leer Jets) or paper (bonds) ~ or a "special tithe that will pay off in future years" (some sort of insurance policy as I undertand it).
Don't give the crooks a chance.
After the Feds get through with this....there will be little left for the victims.
The stake house is a great networking opportunity that can be a difficult tool to resist when you see it in action.
I guess this doesn’t mean anything... “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said last year that Merriman had been excommunicated. “
Well at least he has a good resume builder as a future Anti-Mormon author!
Why did he get excommunicated? Did he become a liability? Did he sin? Do they always excommunicate sinners? Maybe its the level of sin?
“To break the least commandment was to break them all” James 2:10.
So I ask, if the LDS church is in the business of excommunicating sinners then why are there anyone left in ward houses?
I can understand excommunication for people who speak against the LDS church and other “crimes” against the church but sinning is what we all do.
Shades of 8/30/2010
PF it isn’t about the sin but that was an awesome attempt to detract from a news story into EVERY MEMBER HAS BEEN DUPED!!!
I don’t know what he was excommunicated for and it isn’t MY place to judge, neither is it yours. Some sins, such as murder, adultery, and so on are for the most part going to get you excommunicated from most religious affiliations if you are unrepentant... the fact that he was excommunicated kinda leads to the “he was unrepentant” portion of this type of case. Try not reading into things.
Why does any church ex-communicate people?
Couldnt this rant be directed at Catholics or any other church that uses excommunication as a punishment?
You make an assumption in the form of a question, then use the assumption with no proof to try and paint a group as hypocrites.
The only thing I know of on 8/30/2010 was a Bishop, Clay Sannar, being mudered by an anti. But all that “love and caring for The Mormons not Mormonism” that is being preached by the anti crowd sure helps with these types of “events.”
Makes “Affinity” scams like this one or MLM schemes easy to accomplish.
IT did?
I thought they don't REVEAL stuff like this...
Ha ha!
You make an assumption in the form of a question, then use the assumption with no proof to try and paint a group as hypocrites.
Ha ha!
"Mama;I have learned that PRESBYTERIANism is UNTRUE."
"Ok...
I guess we'll support Christine after all."
Leer Jets are football players that stare at cheer leaders,
Lear Jets are airplanes.
It's quite telling that that is all you know about 8/30.
But I'm not at all surprised. But you're right. It is these types of events as told on this very thread that contribute to violence against individual Mormons.
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