 |
| Eric Garner |
Eric Garner was suspected of selling single cigarettes
near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal on
July 17, 2014. The state
of New York has
instituted a whopping $5.67 per pack tax on a cigarettes, so in addition to not
being the healthiest habit someone can have, it is a very expensive habit in
New York. It would make sense for some
smokers in New York to purchase single cigarettes as opposed to buying a
pack. Selling single cigarettes in New
York is called “Butt-legging” – not exactly a term of endearment but a term
that is clearly understood. Selling
single cigarettes - “Loosies” - or “Butt-legging” in New York is
basically tax evasion because the seller keeps the profits and does not give
the state its share of the proceeds. Tax
evasion is a crime, no doubt, but it is a white collar crime. White collar
crimes typically don’t involve the risk of the physical safety of suspects, innocent
bystanders or law enforcement personnel.
More often than not, white collar crime suspects are afforded the option
of turning themselves in when indicted, posting bond and going about their
merry way until having to go to trial.
Eric Garner was a white collar crime suspect on that July day that,
tragically, turned out to be the last day of his life. Take a look at how police in Staten Island
decided to take a white collar crime suspect into custody:
There is no need
to dissect what was seen on the video.
What took place is clear and we all know what the end result was for
Eric Garner. We also know that no one –
not Daniel Panteleo, who applied a banned choke hold on Eric Garner that
resulted in his death - or the others that comprised the mini squadron of
police officers who were in on wrestling Eric Garner to the ground or the
derelict EMS crew that neglected to
treat Eric Garner while he was lying on the sidewalk in what appears to be a
state of unconsciousness. They ALL
were complicit and they ALL are scot free for now. The
Department of Justice has launched an investigation into what we all have seen
on video and it is likely there will be a different outcome for all of those involved
in the death of Eric Garner. Stay
tuned.
Since the turn of
the millennium, there has been a number of egregious white collar crimes
committed by some infamous suspects and some with a strong appearance of committed
crimes where the government decided NOT to indict suspects in light of
overwhelming evidence that indicated that crimes were indeed committed. So, of course, a larger question comes to
mind. Will OTHER “white collar
crime” suspects be treated in the fashion Eric Garner was?
There are so many
cases of high profile white collar crimes committed since 2000 that it would
seemingly take a series of Encyclopedia
Britannica to chronicle them
all. Some are so obvious and had such
an impact on personal economies and the nation’s economy, there is no WAY
they can be ignored. Let’s take a look
at some.
- Bernie Madoff, bilked investors out of $65 billion dollars in the biggest case of
 |
| Bernie Madoff
|
financial fraud in U.S. history. He was awarded his day in court and was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He was NOT choked to death on the sidewalk. What an apropos last name. He REALLY made off with a lot of money that belonged to OTHER people.
- Kenneth Lay, the former CEO of Enron Corporation, was indicted on 11 counts of
securities and wire fraud in a $40 billion scandal. This game of "Three-card Monte" forced Enron into bankruptcy that cost 20,000 people their jobs as well as every DIME they accrued in the company's retirement fund. Kenneth Lay was awarded his day in court and was convicted on all 11 charges. However, prior to being sentenced, Lay mysteriously died of a heart attack. I am not one prone to subscribe to conspiracy theories (I do believe there was more than one shooter in the JFK assassination), but I don't believe that he died of heart attack. I believe he fell on his own sword rather than spend the rest of his natural life incarcerated. Whatever the circumstances of his death were, one thing we ALL know: He was NOT choked to death on the sidewalk.
Kenneth Lay
- Merrill Lynch was accused of helping Enron cook the books during the Enron scandal. Four of
its former executives - Robert S. Furst, Schuyler M. Tilney, Daniel H. Bayly and Thomas W. Davis - were all charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for aiding and abetting Enron. Bayly and Furst, along with two other Merrill Lynch executives other than Davis and Tilney, were later convicted. They since had their conviction overturned in 2006 by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They were indicted, arrested, tried, convicted and ultimately had their convictions overturned through the judicial system. They were NOT choked to death on the sidewalk.
- Angelo Mozilo, Founder and CEO of Countrywide Home Loans, the largest originator
 |
| Angelo Mozilo |
of subprime mortgage loans, has the distinction of being named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 people to blame for the financial crisis (Time: 25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis). Under Mozilo, Countrywide created Stated Income Loans, where mortgage loan applicants were allowed to "state" their income without having to produce any documentation that verified those "stated" incomes. Borrowers were then given mortgage loans they CLEARLY could not afford that came with extremely high interests rates, an overabundance of fees - including origination points (the cost of borrowing the money) and other trumped up, unnecessary fees. Borrowers who did produce income documents were pushed into subprime loans when they actually qualified for prime mortgage loans with lower interest rates and lower fees. These practices ultimately led to a record number of Countrywide borrowers losing their homes in foreclosure. Countrywide was not the only subprime mortgage lender in the country, true, but it was the ring leader in these creative financing schemes. The most damaging loan product from the Countrywide umbrella was the Pay Option Mortgage ARM, which allowed borrowers to choose what their mortgage payments would be from month to month. This, basically, was a sucker loan. The borrowers never paid a dime toward the principle balance. The interest was deferred which caused many homeowners to be upside down - owing more than the home was worth - and ultimately led to foreclosure. Angelo Mozilo was subjected to a federal investigation and right before the hammer of justice fell, he settled with the government for $67.5 million and was NOT required to admit to any criminal wrong doing. On top of the estimated $500 million he made while running Countrywide, he also made off with an additional $115 million when Bank of America acquired Countywide and assumed all of its liabilities. In what has to be one of the most severe cases of denial in the history of mankind, Mozilo insists to this day that he and Countrywide did no wrong (USA Today: Mazilo says he and Countrywide did nothing wrong). Maybe he should ask the hundreds of thousands of Countrywide bowers who lost their homes if they would agree with his assessment. Angelo Mozilo has YET to be choked to death on the sidewalk. (Fortune: How the roof fell in on Countrywide)
That’s quite an impressive list of white collar criminals, white collar crimes and actions that have a strong appearance of being white collar crimes that did not result in criminal charges. Each of the aforementioned examples involved BILLIONS of dollars and ruined tens of thousands of lives. Some of them contributed to the crash of the nation’s economy the nearly catapulted the United States into the Great Depression 3.0. Yet, none of the individuals responsible – not ONE – were treated in the fashion in which Eric Garner was, who simply was SUSPECTED of selling single cigarettes for a paltry 50 CENTS per cigarette, thus making him a suspect of committing tax evasion which is a white collar crime. Comparing the crime of what Eric Garner was SUSPECTED of committing and the crimes some of the aforementioned DID commit and probably SHOULD HAVE been charged with, it is clear there was over the top excessive force in one case (Eric Garner) and what could best be described as tepid force in the others. In the grand scheme of things, the police wasted their time and wound up killing a guy because he was SUSPECTED of selling single cigarettes. At most, he should have received a citation and had any loose cigarettes found on his person confiscated. If there were any suspects of white collar crimes that deserved to be roughed up, it would be those involving BILLIONS of dollars – not one suspected of pushing cigarettes for 50 cents.
Will OTHER “white collar crime” suspects be treated in the fashion Eric Garner was?
Peace, peace.
Craig Riggins
Facebook: The
Riggins Report
Twitter:
@CraigRiggins
Comments
Post a Comment