So another CFO involved in massive corporate fraud walks away with a few months of jail time and an $11,000 fine instead of up to 30 years. Apparently this was because he spilled the beans on the rest of the HealthSouth execs who had their fingers in the pie. Time off for cooperation is a nice incentive to get tongues to wag, but just what kind of message does that send when you're a CFO, know of billions of fraud, do nothing until caught and only get a few months in jail? Bascially it seems to endorse the notion that ignoring massive corporate fraud when its your job not to is okay so long as you're not the top dog, just capitulate after the event and you'll get off completely or with a light sentence - if you're caught at all.
I say if this guy was eligible for 30 years in jail then give him half off for cooperation, not 99% off! After all insurance companies put the value on someones life at about $1.5 to 2 million - so $4 billion is a couple of thousand lifetimes of corporate fraud, yes think about it: money down the drain due to fraud is lifetimes of human effort down the drain. If this guy was even 1% responsible for this fraud happening (and arguably as CFO with full knowledge of it he was 100% responsible right?) he should sacrifice at least 0.01*2000 = 20 years of his lifetime as punishment. I think that kind of sentancing for corporate fraud might raise a few eyebrows and raise a few bars for people thinking of participating in or hiding it.
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