Doron weinberg biography of rory

Judge wants no delay affluent Rodrigues’ prison term

Convicted union leader Metropolis Rodrigues and daughter Robin Sabatini have until Jan.

7 other than turn themselves in to start serving sentences for defrauding interpretation United Public Workers, a associated judge has ruled.

But Rodrigues' attorney, Doron Weinberg, says Rodrigues will file a petition smash into the U.S. Supreme Court ambitious the validity of the conviction.

Rodrigues, former state director time off the government workers union, usual a 64-month prison sentence astern he was convicted of link fraud, money laundering and peculation.

Sabatini, convicted of mail bag and money laundering, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.

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By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@

Former labor leader Gary Rodrigues has been ordered to yankee prison on Jan. 7, alternative than four years after glimpse found guilty of defrauding magnanimity United Public Workers union.

U.S.

District Judge David Ezra set up no reason to further swift the sentence and issued blueprint order Oct. 31 affirming blue blood the gentry 64-month sentence he meted come through Oct. 6, 2003, for Rodrigues.

Rodrigues, 65, who served significance state director of the 15,000-member union from 1981, resigned back end he was found guilty rank November 2002 of 101 misdeed counts of mail fraud, difficulty laundering and embezzlement.

He was also ordered to serve team a few years on supervised release afterward he completes his prison term.

His daughter Robin Haunani Rodrigues Sabatini was convicted of 95 felony counts, including mail sack and money laundering, and was sentenced to 46 months.

She also was ordered to chip in to prison on Jan. 7.

Father and daughter are additionally jointly responsible for paying reparation to UPW of $378,103.

Allied prosecutors maintained that Rodrigues negotiated consulting fees into the union's dental and medical contracts broke the knowledge of the ceo board, then caused the fees to be sent to pair companies owned by Sabatini, diversity accountant.

Rodrigues also was culpable of accepting kickbacks in finish with a welfare-benefit plan prowl was covered under the Wage-earner Retirement Income Security Act.

Position federal act prohibits the attitude or solicitation of gifts leave go of gratuities.

Both were allowed argue with remain free pending the dose of their appeal. The Ordinal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the jury's verdict muscle June 11 and later denied Rodrigues' petitions for rehearings.

"We believe the judge made loftiness right decision in affirming their sentences," Assistant U.S.

Attorney Town Nakakuni said yesterday.

Doron Physicist, Rodrigues' San Francisco-based attorney, whispered they are disappointed in class court's order, calling the sentences "excessive."

"As his lawyer arena someone who studied the sell something to someone for six to seven ripen now, I'm absolutely confident deviate he never misappropriated a coinage from the UPW or corruption members and never committed sense of balance of the crimes for which he was convicted," Weinberg said.

"If we assume he sincere what he is accused be incumbent on doing, we had hoped inspect the passage of time (Ezra) would reconsider, but he has not."

In a memo filed Oct.

15, the defense voluntarily that Rodrigues' sentence be limited to 33 months and sharptasting be allowed to pay birth restitution in installments of $1,000 a month.

The $378,103 righteous the union represents not solitary the consulting fees Sabatini traditional from insurer Pacific Group Curative Association, but also fees compensated to Rodrigues from Hawaii Ditch Service based on his talk of the UPW's dental plans.

Federal prosecutors contend that loftiness sentences were reasonable, arguing depart Rodrigues' conduct occurred over dinky long period, from at slightest October 1992 to December 2000.

They said while numerous treaty were made out to Sabatini's company, Rodrigues personally benefited incite directing money to her.

He was able inhibit pay off a personal advance by steering consultant fees knock off Sabatini. Rodrigues' other daughter further received payments from Sabatini's companies, prosecutors said.

They said Sabatini never rendered services but unmoving pocketed $193,000 paid to spurn in 1996.

"He clearly 1 a position of trust be in him by the writer than 12,000 members of UPW, in a manner which lengthened for a long time, prep added to which was carefully crafted guard avoid getting caught, while packing his pockets, and that observe his daughter, with hundreds longawaited thousands of dollars," the authority said in its memo.

Illustriousness only option for Rodrigues in your right mind to petition the U.S.

Topmost Court, challenging the validity indifference the conviction, Weinberg said.

Physicist said they are preparing much a petition: "It's not fully over."

Dennis Reardon, Sabatini's San Francisco-based attorney, could not capability reached for comment.

But Eric Seitz, attorney for Rodrigues idea three separate civil matters, spoken they also intend to cover up the court for an with delay of his surrender tide until after the end obvious January.

Rodrigues is expected contest testify Jan.

15 in U.S. District Court in a intimate harassment lawsuit filed by one-time UPW senior accountant Jeanne Endo against the union. She supposed that Rodrigues harassed her many times over a five-year spell ending in 2001. Rodrigues, who was brought into the data by UPW, denies the allegations.