Crime

Rajaratnam’s Legal Team Claims Suggested Sentence is “Grotesquely Severe”

There aren’t a lot of people who would feel sorry for Raj Rajaratnam. The former Galleon Group head executed one of the largest — if not the largest — insider trading scheme ever. And then, after being convicted, he attempted to wheedle out of a prison sentence by claiming he was too sick to be locked up. Yep.

And yet, his lawyers seem to be under the impression that everyone who’s ticked off at Rajaratnam is a big ol’ jerk and needs to leave him alone. And they’re not afraid to share this… sentiment (delusion?) with the public.

In anticipation of the one-time hedge funder’s sentencing, Rajaratnam’s legal team had some choice words to share in their court filing, according to Dealbook:

“The government asks the court to ignore Raj Rajaratnam the human being and to sentence a caricature instead. This court’s role is not to validate a prosecutorial public relations effort, nor is it to single out one man to serve as the whipping boy for Wall Street misdeeds.”

Seriously. But when your client swindles his way into a comically large amount of money, can you really be all that surprised that he’s treated as a “caricature?” Seems like that shouldn’t be a huge shocker.

The defense team went on to comment that the prosecutors’ request for a sentence of 19-and-a-half to 24 years was “grotesquely severe.” Let it never be said Rajaratnam’s attorneys lacked ambition, where adjectives are concerned.

TAGS: galleon group insider trading | raj rajaratnam prison | raj rajaratnam sentencing

• Pinching Pennies: Wash and Save on Laundry
• 8 Things Your Boss Doesn't Need To Know
• 7 Things You Don't Need to Buy
• 7 Ridiculous Kitchen Gadgets That You Don't Need