Prison Professors

Paul Bertrand spent many years in charge of mental health support for the FBI. His role included suicide intervention and suicide prevention training. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of confronting a criminal prosecution head on. 

As you likely know, former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani's trial has begun in Northern California in front of Judge Edward Davila.

Balwani's defense, I think, is somewhat predictable. He will blame Holmes (as she blamed him), and reinforce that he was manipulated by her and she was the real mastermind who had no previous business experience.

Regardless of what his lawyers say, the odds are against Mr. Balwani prevailing. It does not help that his former partner and lover, Elizabeth Holmes was convicted.

In this video, I address what Mr. Balwani should be doing to prepare for a possible sentencing hearing.

Too many white collar defendants wait to prepare and eventually realize they missed golden opportunities. I encourage Mr. Balwani (or any federal defendant) to take immediate action on his sentencing mitigation plan.

As you likely know, former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani's trial has begun in Northern California in front of Judge Edward Davila.

Balwani's defense, I think, is somewhat predictable. He will blame Holmes (as she blamed him), and reinforce that he was manipulated by her and she was the real mastermind who had no previous business experience.

Regardless of what his lawyers say, the odds are against Mr. Balwani prevailing. It does not help that his former partner and lover, Elizabeth Holmes was convicted.

In this video, I address what Mr. Balwani should be doing to prepare for a possible sentencing hearing.

Too many white collar defendants wait to prepare and eventually realize they missed golden opportunities. I encourage Mr. Balwani (or any federal defendant) to take immediate action on his sentencing mitigation plan.

It is really quite simple: If you're involved in a government investigation, you must not make things worse than they already are. This video will help you understand why.

It is really quite simple: If you're involved in a government investigation, you must not make things worse than they already are. This video will help you understand why. 

Most defendants want to get out of federal prison as early as possible. Makes sense, right? Yet, in our experience, not every federal defendant is willing to put in the work to get out of federal prison as early as possible.

There are a number of reasons defendants may not be willing to put in the work.

Some of these reasons include:

1: laziness

2: belief that nothing they do matters anyway, so why even try?

3: anger over their conviction precludes them from looking forward and identifying success

If you are willing to do the work, then this video I filmed with Sam Mangel is for you!

In this video, Sam and I cover why some people struggle to earn their release from federal prison--despite thinking they did everything correctly.

Most defendants want to get out of federal prison as early as possible. Makes sense, right? Yet, in our experience, not every federal defendant is willing to put in the work to get out of federal prison as early as possible.

There are a number of reasons defendants may not be willing to put in the work.

Some of these reasons include:

1: laziness

2: belief that nothing they do matters anyway, so why even try?

3: anger over their conviction precludes them from looking forward and identifying success

If you are willing to do the work, then this video I filmed with Sam Mangel is for you!

In this video, Sam and I cover why some people struggle to earn their release from federal prison--despite thinking they did everything correctly.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to target business owners receiving US government Covid-19 economic stimulus loans. At this time, there are thousands of open criminal investigations and prosecutions based on loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress has flagged billions of dollars in PPP loans as suspicious. As a result, the DOJ continues to hire dozens of prosecutors specifically to pursue cases of PPP loan fraud.

Anyone receiving a PPP loan will want to stay tuned. The target of any government investigation needs to be proactive to mitigate the short and long-term negative impact that such investigations can leave behind. Risks and consequences vary case by case. However, there are common strategic steps to help business owners navigate PPP loan fraud cases and achieve better outcomes. Learning about all the stages of the criminal process — from investigation to sentencing, including sentence reductions and post-conviction strategies (such as early release) — can make a significant difference in the overall results. This blog post and accompanying video provide a brief overview on triggers for PPP loan fraud investigations.

https://prisonprofessors.com/5-steps-to-navigate-ppp-loan-fraud-case/

The Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to target business owners receiving US government Covid-19 economic stimulus loans. At this time, there are thousands of open criminal investigations and prosecutions based on loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress has flagged billions of dollars in PPP loans as suspicious. As a result, the DOJ continues to hire dozens of prosecutors specifically to pursue cases of PPP loan fraud.

Anyone receiving a PPP loan will want to stay tuned. The target of any government investigation needs to be proactive to mitigate the short and long-term negative impact that such investigations can leave behind. Risks and consequences vary case by case. However, there are common strategic steps to help business owners navigate PPP loan fraud cases and achieve better outcomes. Learning about all the stages of the criminal process — from investigation to sentencing, including sentence reductions and post-conviction strategies (such as early release) — can make a significant difference in the overall results. This blog post and accompanying video provide a brief overview on triggers for PPP loan fraud investigations.

https://prisonprofessors.com/5-steps-to-navigate-ppp-loan-fraud-case/

During his first State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden emphatically declared that the "watchdogs are back."

The President chided the previous administration claiming that it undermined the watchdog role across the federal government, which led to significant fraud and corruption.

President Biden is making the crackdown on cheating and waste a top priority. Specifically targeted will be any cheating and waste in government programs designed to help small business owners and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

In this podcast, we address PPP fraud and recent federal sentencings.