hallo

The former head of an Island Park medical equipment leasing company, convicted of defrauding banks of $28 million, was sentenced to 11? years in prison yesterday by a federal judge, who said he believed the sentence recommended under the federal guidelines was excessive.

The guidelines called for between 15 years and 8 months to 19? years. But Barry Drayer, 67, of the now-defunct RW Professional Leasing, was given a lesser sentence by U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt in Central Islip, despite Drayer's apparent lack of remorse for his conviction on charges of bank fraud and money laundering.

Drayer spent a half hour before he was sentenced reading a statement in which he accused federal officials of "suborning perjury and actively participating in falsifying evidence" so he did not get a fair trial.

Before Drayer lashed out at federal officials, one of his lawyers, Steven Zissou of Bayside, called his client "a broken man" who "really doesn't believe his intention was to hurt people."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lacewell, who prosecuted the case along with Steven Tiscione, said Drayer's claims the government manufactured a case were baseless.

Lacewell said evidence presented at the trial clearly showed Drayer had engaged in a number of schemes to deceive banks "lie by lie, fraud by fraud, deceit by deceit."

In imposing sentence, Spatt agreed with Lacewell, saying the verdict was correct and prosecutors and agents had conducted themselves in "the highest traditions of the U.S. attorney's office."

But Spatt said he was imposing the lesser sentence because he believed that given Drayer's age, more jail time might amount to a death sentence, that it was a first offense, and that no violence had been involved.

Most of the victims of the fraud scheme were small-town banks around the country that thought they were loaning money to be used to purchase medical equipment. But the funds were actually used for personal expenses or to keep the failing company afloat, according to prosecutors.

Elizabeth Macedonio, another of Drayer's attorneys, said that her client planned to appeal.

nehasood3

the guy is quite old a bit he is 67 years old
so i dont feel that it is a small conviction though i must say that he is lucky enough to get a sentence of 11 yrs

louj

I do think that it is a good idea to give harsher punishments for such violators. People like that will only continue to do fraudulent acts if they can get away with it with just a fine.