Yesterday a federal judge sentenced a man celebrating his 90th birthday to three years in jail for smuggling about a ton of cocaine to Michigan. Leo Sharp was a World War 2 hero and is an award winning plant grower. On the side though he drove loads of cocaine into Michigan for a Mexican cartel and was paid approximately $1M for his efforts. His attorney argued that Sharp suffers from dementia and that he will be a burden on the federal prison program and should be just placed on probation. Instead, the judge sentenced him to prison although it was much less time than prosecutors asked for or what the sentencing guidelines would normally warrant. The government asked for five years and the sentencing guidelines call for a minimum of fourteen years.
Tell him he is at a spa.
ReplyDeleteProblem solved.
If he has dementia, why is he still driving?
ReplyDeleteNo sympathy. You do the crime knowing what the penalty will be. Hopefully his heirs enjoy the money.
ReplyDeleteDollars to donuts, the Feds took all of it! Maybe homeboy is living out his Mike Ehrmantraut fantasies?
DeleteBelieve it or not, the elderly have become increasingly exploited by these organizations because (1) they are the least likely suspects; (2) bad memories can some times work in their favor; and (3) they get shorter sentences due to costs, biases and other factors (which also makes it even less likely that they will flip).
ReplyDeleteDoes homeboy look like a threat to society? HA! If he is, it's only because real thugs are on his ass! Three years of incarcerating him is going to cost a shitload...Imuh stop ranting now.
I am eating lunch and that pic made me lose my appetite. Trim that guys nose hairs for the love of god...
ReplyDeleteYou could swing from them
DeleteHe remembered to make those deliveries
ReplyDelete^5 convenient memory relapse. If I see drug gangs and cholos. Rolling up on granny's bridge club recruiting it's on.
DeleteI thought the federal sentencing was mandatory. So Judge has discretion for 90 year old Pepaw but not for 19 year old kid?
ReplyDeleteJust because you're old shouldn't make you immune to the legal system. I have no sympathy. Claims of dementia are just a get out clause. Still, rather pointless to clog up already over full prisons with someone like him. House arrest?
ReplyDeleteNot sure why when I read that it said he was 50.
ReplyDeleteI was all "dayyyyum that's a hard 50"
He broke the law. He's been around more than a few blocks. He knows what he did was wrong.
"Dayum that's a hard 50"
Delete-Bacon ranch
HA!
This happened in my area. Sources said that the cartel threatened to hurt his family if he didn't do as they asked. A very sad story indeed.
ReplyDeleteI read about this on Vice.. Sad situation, said if he was sentenced to jail time, he plans on committing suicide since jail is death sentence at his age.
ReplyDeleteWell, nobody can say he isn't old enough to know better. Jail for all!
ReplyDeleteSuzyanne is right. The rules are plomo o plata- you take money or the bullet. The pay off is a formality and incentive to shit up. You think most of these people have a choice in this? If they do, their agency in the decision is heavily restricted by fear. I hope his family stays safe throughout all of this.
ReplyDeleteShit up! Lol! That's staying
DeleteSorry, but what about all the older people harmed by the cartels as part of their way of doing business? What about all the younger people harmed by the cartels' business practices and by the effects of crack and powdered cocaine? This guy is part of a chain of business that hurts many, many people. No pity. Go to jail.
ReplyDelete@Suzyanne That certainly puts a different spin on it, and I wouldn't doubt it a bit. If that's true, he's fecked either way. If he squeals, he's a dead man, and if he doesn't, he will likely die in jail.
ReplyDeleteall those factors were obviously brought up in Judge's Chambers during all the pre-trials.Sooo,obviously,those arguments weren't compelling enough or,were considered in the Judge's less than mandatory-minimum sentence.
ReplyDeleteI mean compelling enough to avoid trial,or plea bargain to much lesser charge
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ReplyDeleteIf he was co-erced I am sure his lawyer would have been arguing that because it goes to intention.
ReplyDeleteI somehow doubt though maybe I am wrong that the cartel found him but rather he needed money and he found them or heard about an opportunity from someone else.
What most people who decide to deal with these people you think you can do it until you got the money you need or you do it once and decide you don't like it, it's too late, they won't let you back out, not alive anyway.
Better call Saul!
ReplyDeleteFuck YES!!! Did you hear that Michael McKean was just cast for the spinoff?!?!
DeleteSaw that Lady H -obviously the series is a prequel or takes place before Saul meets Heisenberg. At least they already have the series finale storyline.
DeleteYes and it will automatically become my new favorite show!
ReplyDeleteBut child rapists get 30 days in prison. Oooooo Kayyyyy
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes: If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. I have no sympathy inasmuch as $1MM isn't coercion or dementia.
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ReplyDeleteHe was released into the custody of one of his relatives. He has threatened to kill himself rather than go to prison. He never denied doing the crime.
ReplyDeleteI would sentence him to 3 years at a minimum just for his gross negligence in refusing to trim his nose hairs.
ReplyDeleteIf he did The crime...yadda yada. Enty, are you in charge of his estate? Probably since this wasn't a headline on the dm
ReplyDeletePoor guy looks pretty distraught in that picture.
ReplyDeleteSeriously if he had dementia he must be in the early stages because my mother in law can remember where she leaves her glasses and she doesn't even leave the house.
Tie him up with his own nose hairs. I dunno, it's too bad he's rather kill himself than go to prison - but that's what he CHOSE when he willfully committed his crime. Wouldn't the cartel make him take the risk for next to nothing if he was forced? A million dollar payout doesn't seem to jive with death threats. If justice is blind, he should recieve the same sentence as a 20, 50 or 70 year-old.
ReplyDeleteWell i just hope he learns his lesson and becomes a productive member of society when he gets out.
ReplyDeleteTotally, totally, totally sick of the drug war. Let the old guy go and enjoy the couple of years he has left. Kudos for him for even having the balls to take such a risk at his age instead of sitting in front of the tv watching reruns of "Murder She Wrote".
ReplyDeleteI say let everyone out of prison except the violent criminals. Make the embezzlers and drug dealers work it off and pay fines and restitution outside of jail walls.
People are going to find a way to get drugs as long as we lived in this fucked up society with fucked up values that hold people to superficial, impossible standards. The drug war is hurting innocent people on top of being a total buzzkill with our illusion of freedom. Making people piss in a cup to get a desk job is ridiculous. Enough!
Put him on house arrest...geez our society is stupid!
ReplyDelete@madlyb I think he watches reruns of the golden girls or love boat.
ReplyDeleteHe probably did it so his family would have some money.
Why should he be treated any differently than anyone else who commited the same crime?
I highly doubt he is a 1st time offender.
Auntlliddy wouldn't it be fab if they rehabilitated him?
ReplyDeleteHe could then go on & build homes for those in need !
This shows how incredibly fucking stupid our drug laws and courts are when they put a 90 year old man in jail for this.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. The brain-dead, howling jackals who want to throw the book at him are the problem.
He was smuggling a fucking TON, literal TON of cocaine. If you dock is Social Security check and send him home, then EVERY smuggler will be 85 and over.
ReplyDeleteHe's definitely guilty, he looks just like a mule.
ReplyDelete