One can hardly blame Rudy Fratto, who pled guilty to federal charges of tax evasion, for delaying his sentencing hearing. I mean, if you had the financial weight of the Chicago Outfit behind you (and all the legal resources that affords), as police suspect, and faced time in a federal prison, wouldn't you?
Chicago Outfit gangsters have done everything from faking heart attacks and strokes to "babbling incoherantly as if possessed by an evil spirit," according to an entry on the Chicago Syndicate organized crime blog.
But this move just reeks of desperation.
Fratto's oh-so-crafty Chicago criminal defense attorney, Arthur N. Nasser, penned a groan-inducing motion to push back Fratto's scheduled Feb. 12 sentencing (Daily Herald):
"The defendant's attorney had made plans to visit with his family during Thanksgiving weekend in McLean, Va., and Christmas in Charleston, W.V. Thereafter, he has reservations to travel to Palm Springs, Calif., for 12 days departing Dec. 28, 2009 and returning to Chicago on Jan. 9, 2010. Upon his return to Chicago he is scheduled to have a cataract removed from his right eye ... on Jan. 14, 2010."
In other words, Nasser is trying to make the argument that his many vacation plans throughout the continental United States, as well as his elective eye surgery, make it impossible for him to do his job.
Some may say his motion is little more than an elaborate sick note. But motions cost money (more billable hours for the attorney), which is why you often only see such onslaughts of motions coming from defendants with deep pockets.
Fratto's charges are not racketeering or other mob-related crimes but rather the old standby that eventually led to Al Capone's downfall: Tax evasion. As long as Uncle Sam gets his cut, and the paperwork looks legit, it's all good. But Fratto owes an estimated $141,000 in taxes and will serve between 12 and 18 months in prison following his guilty plea.
As part of his plea bargain Fratto wanted to spend Christmas and New Year's with his loved ones before going away. But now it seems like the alleged high-ranking mobster needs a little more time.
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Guilty Plea to Tax Evasion by Reputed Mobster, Rudy Fratto (The Chicago Syndicate)
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Tax Evasion (Encyclopedia of Everyday Law)
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