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CHICAGO - Conrad Black, scheduled to be sentenced in six days for his role in defrauding Hollinger International, has shown a "stunning lack of remorse" for his crimes, his chief prosecutor said in a court filing.
Assistant US Attorney Eric Sussman, who led the four-lawyer team that won Black's July 13 conviction for mail fraud and obstruction of justice, made the remark in the Government's most recent response to a pre-sentence report filed by the court's probation department in advance of Black's December 10 sentencing.
"Out of all the defendants, Black has been the most vocal in his lack of remorse and his refusal to recognise the offence," Sussman wrote in the submission.
US District Judge Amy St Eve in Chicago is scheduled to sentence Black, 63, and two other former Hollinger executives for stealing what the pre-sentence report said was US$6.1 million. A fourth defendant to be sentenced with the others was convicted of stealing US$5.5 million of that total. Prosecutors contend that Hollinger sustained a loss of US$32.15 million and that the executives should be punished accordingly.
Black, former chairman and chief executive of the newspaper company now known as Sun-Times Media, maintains he is innocent. His lawyers applauded the report's rejection of the US$32.15 million figure in favour of the smaller sum.
The amount of loss chargeable to the defendants is one of several factors St Eve may consider in meting out sentences. Prosecutors have said publicly they seek to jail Black for at least 15 years.
Black's lawyers contend he should receive a sentence more in line with that which is likely to be imposed on former Hollinger president F. David Radler, 65, who pleaded guilty to a single fraud count and testified against Black.
Radler is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17 and is expected to receive a term of two years and five months in prison.
- Bloomberg
