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GMMAC Conrad Black found guilty on 3 charges CBC News Last Updated: Friday, July 13, 2007 | 11:35 AM ET Businessman Conrad Black has been found guilty on two mail fraud charges and one obstruction of justice charge, a Chicago courtroom was told Friday morning. There is no word of verdicts in the cases of three Hollinger executives who were being tried alongside the Canadian media baron.
View Replies To: GMMAC A major advocate of the "Anglosphere" (an "insider" according to the Birchers) goes down, though not to the extent that his enemies wanted him too.
View Replies To: John123 It sounds like he was more of a slime bucket. The govt pulled every last string they could, suborning and threatening witnesses every which way - and all they got was obstruction of justice and mail fraud. Conrad Black is the fed's worst nightmare: an innocent man with money.
View Replies To: TonyRo76 Conrad Black guilty on four counts, most seriously obstruction of justice Conrad Black has been found guilty on four of 13 charges, including mail fraud and obstruction of justice. The three counts of mail fraud carry maximum penalties of five years each and fines of up to $250,000. The far more serious charge of obstruction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and/or a fine of $250,000. Potentially, Lord Black faces 35 years in prison and a $1-million fine. The jury which decided the fate of Black and his three co-defendants on criminal fraud charges delivered the verdict shortly after 11:30 am eastern time on Friday. During the trial the US government alleged Black and three other senior Hollinger International executives -- Peter Atkinson, Jack Boutlbee, and Mark Kipnis -- misappropriated $60 million US in bonuses disguised as non-compete payments from Hollinger International during the sale of newspaper assets. Jack Boutlbee was found guilty of three counts of mail fraud. Peter Atkinson has been found guilty on three counts of mail fraud. Mark Kipnis has been found guilty on three counts of mail fraud. The nine women and three men had been deliberating on a total of 42 charges. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your service," Judge St. Eve said before the jury filed out after delivering their verdict. Lord Black approached the judge with his lawyers and was placed under oath to waive his right to have forfeiture decided by the jury -- meaning the judge will decide on her own any matters related to Black's transfer of property to the court -- and answered Judge St. The following is a full list of the charges, the defendants and -- as and when they become available, the jury's verdict on each charge. THE NON-COMPETES COUNT ONE: Mail fraud Defendants were paid non-compete fees without justification. Black: GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. COUNT 2: Mail fraud Engaged in mail fraud when negotiated the sale of Hollinger Inc. COUNT 3: Wire fraud Engaged in wire fraud when negotiated the sale of Hollinger Inc. COUNT 4: Wire fraud Engaged in wire fraud when faxing wire transfer instructions. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. COUNT 6: Mail fraud Shipping non-competition agreements. Black: GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. COUNT 7 Mail fraud Shipping a non-compete payment in the sum of US$600,000. Black: GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. NON-COMPETES INVOLVING CANWEST COUNT 8 Wire fraud Depriving Hollinger Inc. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. COUNT 9 Mail fraud Shipping of memos referring to non-compete deal. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. THE LAVISH LIFESTYLE CHARGES COUNT 10: Wire fraud Use of company jet to fly to Bora Bora, billing of Ms Amiel's birthday party to Hollinger Inc, buying company's New York apartment at less than market value. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. COUNT 11: Wire fraud Same facts as 10 but fraud occurred when documents about the perks were transmitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Black: Boultbee: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. Wire fraud Transfer of money in connection with buying apartment. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Maximum penalty: Five years and/or $250,000. OTHER CHARGES COUNT 13: Obstruction Removal of boxes from Hollinger's Toronto offices. Black: GUILTY Maximum penalty: 20 years and/or $250,000. Racketeering Black alleged to be leader of an "association-in-fact" enterprise that raised money by fraud. Black: NOT GUILTY Maximum penalty: 20 years and/or $250,000. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: 3 years and/or $250,000. Filing false tax return 2000 federal income tax return understated gross revenue by US$16m. Black: NOT GUILTY Boultbee: Atkinson: Kipnis: Maximum penalty: 3 years and/or $250,000.
The govt pulled every last string they could, suborning and threatening witnesses every which way - and all they got was obstruction of justice and mail fraud. Conrad Black is the fed's worst nightmare: an innocent man with money. Isn't this what the prosecutors are supposed to do when corrupt corporate officers are trashing a company?
View Replies To: John123 Conrad Black was despised by the former little Canadian dictator Jean Chretien, so that tells me that Black must have had some good in him.
View Replies To: GMMAC I lost faith in our justice system even before Nifong, Fitzfong, and whatever -fong this prosecutor was. they're there to put notches in their belts, or for a political agenda; Jurors are either stupid or blinded by their own prejudices; or inclined to reach some idiotic "compromise" verdict for the sake of comity (they want to have a group-hug in front of the TV cameras);
For more on the case go to Macleans an d read Steyn's live blogs of the trial. The jury found him guilty on only three of the thirteen counts but that is still preposterously wrong. And they found his three co-defendants guilty of three counts each (including the manifestly innocent Kipnis).
View Replies To: spyone The only person defrauding the company is the dude Fitz installed to look after who's making multi millions as this nonsense goes on. The stockholders were well served by Black when he was in charge.
View Replies To: kcvl All of the material in those boxes had already been turned over to the SEC. At the time he removed them at the request of the landlord, he was not aware of any pending inquiry .
View Replies To: kcvl The removal of the boxes was the basis for the obstruction of justice charge. I can't research right now however I believe there was a court order to vacate the office.
The only govt seeking those docs which had already been turned over to the SEC was the Canadian govt but they never notified Black until days after he removed the stuff to comply with the eviction order.
fanfan As with Scooter Libby, the principal conviction amounts to a 'process' infraction within a 'case' which likewise saw the same overly ambitious & biased US Attorney throwing a ton of $hit against the wall in the hope that some might stick. As indicated by in both matters the bulk of the charges resulting resulting in acquittals. If this is typical of Fitzgerald's conviction ratio, it's a pretty fair argument for prosecutorial abuse of process ... not that any Rat 'golden boy' is ever going to be formally confronted with such. In fact, in some States this very sort of headline-grubbing bias-driven misconduct can even get you elected Governor - just ask New York's Elliot Spitzer!
View Replies To: the Real fifi There may be more to it but when I first read of this it seemed as though he got charged for doing something a court had ordered him to do. The rest of it seems a like a bunch of men made a bad deal after their accountants and lawyers all signed off on it and then years later they decided they didn't like it. Based on the result of 10 out of the 13 charges, I don't think that's too far off.
Again, the person who has followed this case most closely is the great...
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