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| John Donald Cody speaks during his sentencing on racketeering, theft, money laundering charges Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, in Cleveland. Cody, using the stolen identity Bobby Thompson, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for defrauding donors of up to $100 million in 41 states through the United States Navy Veterans Association, a charity he ran in Tampa, Fla. |
CLEVELAND
(AP) -- A man convicted of masterminding a $100 million, cross-country
Navy veterans charity fraud was sentenced to 28 years in prison Monday.
Judge
Steven Gall also ordered the defendant, who identifies himself as
67-year-old Bobby Thompson, to pay a $6 million fine. Authorities say
the defendant is Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody.
The
Ohio attorney general's office, which handled his trial, asked the
judge in a filing last week to sentence him to 41 years in prison.
The
judge rejected a request for a new trial. The defense had said comments
by jurors after the verdict that they were disappointed he hadn't
testified showed they were biased against him.
The
defendant, whose appearance in court Monday was neat in contrast to the
final days of his trial, slumped in his chair as the sentence was read.
He complained to the judge about alleged abusive treatment by jailers
while locked up during the trial.
There was no
immediate response from the sheriff's department. Jailers said earlier
that the defendant had acted erratically and had bloodied his forehead
smashing it against a holding cell wall.
The
judge said the crimes had harmed veterans who were the intended
beneficiaries of the donations and also had hurt other charities as
donors became skeptical of giving.
"Everyone's afraid to give," Gall said.
He said the sentence reflected the length, extent and amount of the charity "charade."
Defense
attorney Joseph Patituce said after the verdict and again after the
sentencing that ineffective legal representation issues stemming from
limited preparation time might be a basis for an appeal.
His client denies committing the crimes, Patituce said.
The
defense hinted at a CIA covert operation and showed jurors photos of
the defendant with President George W. Bush, suggesting Thompson was
acting with government sanction.
Thompson was
convicted Nov. 14 of racketeering, theft, money laundering and 12 counts
of identity theft. The prosecutor showed jurors identification cards
with the defendant's photo but different names and issued by government
agencies and companies in numerous states.
Thompson
sat upright, taking notes during much of his trial but turned
unpredictable in the final few days, appearing in court with his shirt
unbuttoned to his waist and uncombed hair hanging down his face.
The
judge, who expressed irritation with Thompson over his appearance,
issued an order that he be "dressed, groomed and showered" by 8 a.m. on
trial days and directed deputies to bring him to court "by any means
necessary."
Attorney General Mike DeWine's
office had asked that $330,778 of the seized money cover investigation
and trial costs, but DeWine said after the sentencing that the money
instead would go to reputable veterans charities.
The
office also wants $650,871.30 for a default judgment order, with the
money going to veterans charities, according to Dan Tierney, a DeWine
spokesman.
An additional $101,000 seized from Thompson has already been distributed by Ohio to veterans charities.
The onetime fugitive signaled he would testify at trial but changed his mind.
The
fraud occurred in 41 states, according to trial testimony, and Ohio
took the lead, indicting Thompson in 2010. He disappeared for nearly two
years and was arrested last year in Portland, Ore.
He was convicted of looting the United States Navy Veterans Association, a charity he ran in Tampa, Fla.
Only
a fraction of the $100 million was found. When Thompson was arrested,
authorities found fake IDs and a suitcase with $980,000 in cash.
Records show the defendant had showered politicians, often Republicans, with political donations.
Politicians
who received donations from him, according to campaign finance filings,
include Bush and former presidential contenders Mitt Romney, John
McCain and Rudolph Giuliani.
The defendant was identified through military fingerprint records.
