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Pastimes : Investment Chat Board Lawsuits -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (8786)8/9/2005 7:03:41 PM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 12465
 
I received from Tony Elgindy a couple of handwritten letters he was hoping to have published on SI, both on this thread and his own. As many of you know, Tony is facing 20 years in prison, sentencing to likely be on or around October 1. There was a good likelihood that, with SI Bob's help, that the letters would be published using Tony's account. I even faxed Bob copies of the letters for verification that what was posted electronically was actually what Tony wrote.

However...

Suffice to say that while the motivation to speak out publicly comes from a desire to show how one feels wronged by the judicial system, one risks just the opposite. Delfino and Day brought this to an art-form: bringing wide-ranging attention to their case such that, even if you ended up being totally unsympathetic to them personally, you at least had to acknowledge they were legally wronged. Tony has, in the letters I've read, not (yet) been able to do this.

Just so I haven't totally disappointed everyone, here's a part of Tony's first letter that at least humanizes him:

Keep in mind, as you review this, I had every cent I ever had to my name seized and frozen three years ago. Since then I’ve spent millions and millions and millions defending this case. I’ve lost every dollar I’ve ever earned or saved in the past 17 years. I’ve lost my business reputation, friends, family, credibility, and most of all my liberty and my desperate need to be there for my three young boys as they face these critical years ahead.

Will there be more to come? I'd like to think so. Everyone deserves to tell their side of the story. But when facing 20 years in prison, you probably have only one chance to get it right if you have any hope of getting anyone's sympathy be it personal or legal. Today is a bit premature for Tony.

- Jeff