10 months and no cooperation? Sweet deal. We know politics was not involved in this case.
COLUMBIA --- If Thomas Ravenel was naming his contacts in the Charleston, S.C., drug scene, the judge who sentenced him said he never heard the former treasurer give anyone up.
But Mr. Ravenel's supplier gave authorities information on customers, showing resolve in pointing a finger at one of the state's upcoming political stars, and gave up other people higher up in the drug world, U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. wrote in documents released Friday.
In those papers, Judge Anderson spelled out his reasoning for sentencing South Carolina's former treasurer and his dealer to 10 months in prison each for cocaine convictions. Mr. Ravenel, who had faced as many as 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine, was also ordered to pay a $221,000 fine and an additional $28,000 to the state as reimbursement for the special legislative session to elect his successor.
Mr. Ravenel's attorneys had argued during his March 14 sentencing hearing that their client should receive no prison time because of the "substantial assistance" he provided to authorities in their ongoing drug investigation in Charleston.
But Judge Anderson disputed the amount of help the millionaire Republican land developer actually provided.
"It is perplexing to the court that the government could not present a single name of an individual to which Ravenel's substantial assistance led," Judge Anderson wrote.
Comments
10 months and no cooperation? Sweet deal. We know politics was not involved in this case.
Especially so when considering the quantity of drug involved....
What percentages of the inmate populations in our state and federal prison systems have a net worth as large as that of Thomas Ravenel or his family? A majority of our prisoners might be Black but an even greater majority are poor. How much does Ravenel's "sweet deal" undermine the credibility of our justice system in the eyes of Blacks, poor folks and other folks? Here's a vote for equal opportunity in incarceration. Not "Thomas Ravenel for State Treasurer" but "Thomas Ravenel for long-term federal prisoner." Yes, I could vote for that.
"I don't know. It may be that poor people are the only ones who commit crimes but i do know that they are the only ones to serve time." Jimmy Carter - 1979
Ravenel's is white and his drug dealer was black. They both got the same sentences. That is what you call racism?
Thank you foxy - I hardly think the race card can be pulled out in this case. The illiteracy card maybe, since it's obvious no one read the couple of words telling about the drug dealer's equal sentence, but definitely not the race card. I also read that Thomas has to pay for the cost of a special legislative session to elect his successor. I don't recall certain politicians in Georgia being required to do the same in similar situations, but I'm not going to start waving cards about over it. What's done is done, these men are being punished and those who don't like it would do better to rant in their legislator's ear than on this site.
justus, you are a certifiable idiot!
Yes the poor baby had to pay for the cost of the special session. I am willing to bet that " Thomas " will try to claime the cost on his taxes. The only idiots in this case is bullet. GNX, the next time you want to rant on this site, remember your own advice. Also with the amount of drugs " Thomas " had, seems like he was also a drug dealer.
I thought you received 10 years off the gate with any cocaine violation...
Compare this with Sen. Walker's sentance. The Africian American man that gets ahead in this world has the target on him from day one. Come November Sen Walker will be pardoned by Pres. Obama and the anguished wailing from Columbia county will drown out our cheering. We will be " Free at last "
Who would have ever thought that blacks would hollar racism. That's black people's favorite word when things don't go their way. We can't ever come togather as people because blacks don't want to. If you don't believe it, go to a black church on Sun. and ask them.
Also, Charles Walker has been a crook all his life. The problem is that blacks don't understand is that he made his money from them and they even realize it or don't care.
Coming from a racist like you APEX, it must be true.
Hypo, you must be black because you used blacks favorite word when it come to white people. RACISM. Most blacks probably don't know the true meaning of racism, half the time blacks get racism and bigits confused.
I feel violated. Being white and poor, my 20+ year sentence would have been considered a small price to pay. I have not committed the crime, but if I had, we know how the sentencing would have gone.
20 years plus, plus, .........
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