Brian Murphy -
The sentencing hearing for Brian Murphy has been set for March 24, 2015, 11:00 AM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan.
This is a continuation of his initial sentencing. This hearing is being held to order restitution to be paid by him.
Joyce Allen -
The sentencing hearing for Joyce Allen has been set for April 20, 2015, 02:00 PM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan.
Additionally, a spreadsheet showing net loss amounts for each victim who suffered losses in this case has been provided for downloaded on the government Victim Notification System website.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Paulynn Wright is Incarcerated
It appears that Paulynn Wright has started servicing her sentence and is currently incarcerated at Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville. She's scheduled for release on May 29, 2015 and isn't eligible for parole.
I happened to find a little information on FCI Aliceville.
The Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville (FCI Aliceville) is a medium-security United States federal prison for female inmates in Alabama. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. It also includes a satellite prison camp for minimum-security female inmates. FCI Aliceville is located in Pickens County, between Aliceville and Pickensville. It is approximately 55 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and 35 miles southeast of Columbus, Mississippi.
I am assuming that since the notification of her incarceration stated she was in the FCI Aliceville, that she is not house in the satellite prison camp. As a minimum security facility, FCI - Aliceville Satellite Prison Camp has dormitory housing. The prisoners are classed as low level risk and has no perimeter fencing.
That's the extent of what I know of Paulynn Wright's incarceration. By the grace of God our freedom from the pain of this crime is slowly gaining hold. God provides.
The Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville (FCI Aliceville) is a medium-security United States federal prison for female inmates in Alabama. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. It also includes a satellite prison camp for minimum-security female inmates. FCI Aliceville is located in Pickens County, between Aliceville and Pickensville. It is approximately 55 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and 35 miles southeast of Columbus, Mississippi.
I am assuming that since the notification of her incarceration stated she was in the FCI Aliceville, that she is not house in the satellite prison camp. As a minimum security facility, FCI - Aliceville Satellite Prison Camp has dormitory housing. The prisoners are classed as low level risk and has no perimeter fencing.
That's the extent of what I know of Paulynn Wright's incarceration. By the grace of God our freedom from the pain of this crime is slowly gaining hold. God provides.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Sentencing for Joyce Allen and Tiffiny Thompson
Just a quick update on a couple of sentencing hearings. The sentencing previously scheduled for Joyce Allen on February 2, 2015 has rescheduled for February 23, 2015, 9:30 AM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan. Also, the sentencing hearing for Tiffiny Thompson has been set for March 25, 2015, 2:00 PM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Sharon Thomas Sentencing Rescheduled
For those who haven't heard, the sentencing previously scheduled for Sharon Kay Thomas on January 22, 2015 has been has been rescheduled by the court and is set for March 24th at 2:00 PM. Other than a new date, all other details of the sentencing remain the same.
.....and so it continues.
.....and so it continues.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Brian Murphy Sentenced
Here's some information recently posted on the Department of Justice website. It appears some much more significant sentencing has entered the picture. However, it is yet to be seen whether any actual restitution will be witnessed by the victims.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Brian Murphy, 43, of Knoxville, Tenn., was sentenced on January 8, 2015, to serve 45 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, Chief U.S. District Judge. Murphy was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution to the victims in the case.
Murphy pleaded guilty in August 2014, to a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The indictment arose out of Murphy’s participation with Joyce Allen and the late Charles Candler in the operation of a business known as Benchmark Capital, which was discovered to be a Ponzi scheme that financially ruined many of its hundreds of victims. Candler, Allen, Murphy and others vouched for the soundness of investment annuities they sold when in fact they were worthless.
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| Brian Murphy |
The indictment and subsequent conviction of Murphy was the result of a three-year investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dale and Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Sentencing Hearing For Joyce Allen & New Trial Denied
Just to keep everyone posted, the sentencing previously scheduled for Joyce Allen on February 17, 2015 was concelled and rescheduled for February 2, 2015, 09:30 AM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan. Also, here's a summary of what was posted in The Daily Times, Maryville, TN
.... A Blount County accountant convicted in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme will not get a new trial, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Joyce Elaine Allen, 66, of Alcoa, was seeking another trial after a jury convicted her on numerous counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering for her role in a fraud scheme centered around the now defunct Benchmark Capital Inc. The owner of J. Allen & Associates in Louisville, Allen was convicted by a jury on Sept. 22 following a two-weeklong trial in Knoxville’s U.S. District Court. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan issued a ruling on Wednesday denying a defense motion for a new trial filed two weeks after Allen’s conviction. (By the way, we heard nothing of this motion from the Victims Notification System. Honestly, wouldn't you think that this was worthy of noitifying the victims?) Allen is scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. Feb. 17 and could face up to life in prison. She was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and six counts of issuing fraudulent securities. ....Investors put more than $42.6 million into the fraud scheme, resulting in losses of more than $18 million, according to court documents. In asking for a new trial, the defense argued the evidence presented at trial supported Allen’s claims she didn’t know Benchmark Capital was a Ponzi scheme and was even duped herself. In his ruling, Varlan rejected these arguments and said Allen’s conviction did not constitute a miscarriage of justice. (This victim thanks you Judge Varlan!)
Five have taken plea deals, Allen was the only defendant among five others who did not take a plea agreement and instead proceeded to trial. Knoxville resident Dona Rector, a loan officer with Benchmark Capital, was sentenced in October to two years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Paulynn Wright, another loan officer, was sentenced Dec. 3 to four months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Varlan ordered Wright spend four months of her supervised release under house arrest. Sentencing hearings for the remaining three defendants are scheduled this month. Brian Murphy, who helped start Benchmark Capital Inc. in 2001, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His sentencing is set for Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. Sharon Kay Thomas, Allen’s associate at J. Allen & Associates, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She’s scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. Jan. 22. Tiffiny Thompson, a manager in Benchmark Capital Inc.’s Knoxville office, pleaded guilty in June to a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. She’s scheduled for a 10 a.m. Jan. 28 sentencing.
.... A Blount County accountant convicted in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme will not get a new trial, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Joyce Elaine Allen, 66, of Alcoa, was seeking another trial after a jury convicted her on numerous counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering for her role in a fraud scheme centered around the now defunct Benchmark Capital Inc. The owner of J. Allen & Associates in Louisville, Allen was convicted by a jury on Sept. 22 following a two-weeklong trial in Knoxville’s U.S. District Court. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan issued a ruling on Wednesday denying a defense motion for a new trial filed two weeks after Allen’s conviction. (By the way, we heard nothing of this motion from the Victims Notification System. Honestly, wouldn't you think that this was worthy of noitifying the victims?) Allen is scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. Feb. 17 and could face up to life in prison. She was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and six counts of issuing fraudulent securities. ....Investors put more than $42.6 million into the fraud scheme, resulting in losses of more than $18 million, according to court documents. In asking for a new trial, the defense argued the evidence presented at trial supported Allen’s claims she didn’t know Benchmark Capital was a Ponzi scheme and was even duped herself. In his ruling, Varlan rejected these arguments and said Allen’s conviction did not constitute a miscarriage of justice. (This victim thanks you Judge Varlan!)
Five have taken plea deals, Allen was the only defendant among five others who did not take a plea agreement and instead proceeded to trial. Knoxville resident Dona Rector, a loan officer with Benchmark Capital, was sentenced in October to two years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Paulynn Wright, another loan officer, was sentenced Dec. 3 to four months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Varlan ordered Wright spend four months of her supervised release under house arrest. Sentencing hearings for the remaining three defendants are scheduled this month. Brian Murphy, who helped start Benchmark Capital Inc. in 2001, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His sentencing is set for Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. Sharon Kay Thomas, Allen’s associate at J. Allen & Associates, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She’s scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. Jan. 22. Tiffiny Thompson, a manager in Benchmark Capital Inc.’s Knoxville office, pleaded guilty in June to a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. She’s scheduled for a 10 a.m. Jan. 28 sentencing.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
A Sentencing Update
I've serioiusly NOT kept this blog up to date so I thought I'd take just a moment to at least bring it up to date as far as the legal sentencing events are concerned. Here's a short summary.
The sentencing previously scheduled for Joyce Elaine Allen on January 13, 2015, 10:00 AM was rescheduled by the court. The sentencing hearing for her has been set for February 17, 2015, 10:00 AM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan.
Paulynn Wright was sentenced by the Court to serve 4 months, followed by supervised release of 2 years and given a 'special assessment' of $100.00 to pay.
Dona Rector was sentenced by the Court to be placed on probation for 2 years and given a 'special assessment' of $100.00 to pay.
Should I make a comment about the 'justice' thus far meeded out? I don't think it's necessary since I believe all of the victims are feeling the same dismay, hurt, and pain as I feel as I write this blog. Enough said.
The sentencing previously scheduled for Joyce Elaine Allen on January 13, 2015, 10:00 AM was rescheduled by the court. The sentencing hearing for her has been set for February 17, 2015, 10:00 AM at Courtroom 4 - Knoxville, Federal Courthouse, 800 Market St., Suite 130, Knoxville, TN before Judge Thomas Varlan.
Paulynn Wright was sentenced by the Court to serve 4 months, followed by supervised release of 2 years and given a 'special assessment' of $100.00 to pay.
Dona Rector was sentenced by the Court to be placed on probation for 2 years and given a 'special assessment' of $100.00 to pay.
Should I make a comment about the 'justice' thus far meeded out? I don't think it's necessary since I believe all of the victims are feeling the same dismay, hurt, and pain as I feel as I write this blog. Enough said.
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