LESSON: Business leaders must never let their guard down when dealing with federal agencies, regulators, or institutions. The corruption and misaligned incentives, combined with nearly zero accountability, create tremendous peril for those leaders who do not properly prepare for battle.
The below lesson is an excerpt from my Amazon #1 Best Seller, When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity, Forbes Books, 2024.
Once I reversed my federal sentence from the prison law library and the appeals court removed judge Robert Doumar, I was soon shackled again and traveling back to Norfolk, Virginia.
I was then ushered before Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask, who looking up from the bench, stated, “I see Mr. Martinovich’s sentence has been vacated, so as far as I’m concerned, he’s a free man!”
In disbelief I quickly rose to my feet in victory and turned to share the moment with Ashleigh sitting directly behind me in the courtroom. But not so fast! AUSA Brian Samuels leapt from his chair waving a brand-new indictment and pronounced, “Your Honor, there actually is a new indictment, and we are taking Mr. Martinovich upstairs right now!”
I sat in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail (WTRJ), the same facility the FBI dropped me in back at the beginning of this horrific journey. Now they wouldn’t permit me to continue representing myself, and my court-appointed counsel Larry Woodward clearly had been given orders to micromanage and control the defendant (me), whom AUSA Brian Samuels repeatedly referred to as “practicing a scorched earth, take no prisoners strategy.”
And the most expeditious way to control the citizens is by a plea deal, which 98.5% of people agree to. Larry and I had numerous screaming matches while I was chained to the desk in the attorney-client meeting room. He demanded I take a plea. I argued that I would go to trial, again!
Becoming a little brighter along the way, I took copious notes during each session, mailed the notes to Ashleigh with the stamps she bought me, and she then scanned them and sent them to Woodward and his assistant by email weekly. When everything later went south—again—this documentation came in handy in saving my life—again.
I refused to discuss a plea offer for the second indictment. I kept yelling, “This is more ludicrous than the first indictment!” I had come that far standing on what I believed was honorable and principled. I couldn’t fold now. My obstinance caused me to sit in the horrific local jail for another eight months until they concocted a new scam.
The federal record states, “Woodward…convince(d) Martinovich that counsel had negotiated an arrangement with the government and the District Court for Martinovich to receive no more than an aggregate ‘5-6 years’ sentence in return for Martinovich stopping his numerous appeals and ‘putting an end to this.’” This would let me be free immediately or serve only a few more months (instead of 12 years!). I caved!
The next day Larry Woodward leaned over to me at the table and said, “Hey, I just want to let you know I have to run out of here immediately after this sentencing to another engagement so don’t perceive anything negative, or positive, from that. Okay?” My radar went on high alert.
Judge Allen walked into the courtroom with scorn and what I perceived to be a black aura I could feel across the courtroom. Dread came over me instantly. In rushing torments, fear took over my body.
It was another trick! Judge Allen sentenced me to 14 years, more time than I had received before I reversed my case. Thank you for playing!
And true to his word, Larry Woodward nearly sprinted out of the courtroom. Ashleigh’s later sworn affidavit recounts her story of how she ran after Woodward. She stopped at the top of the courthouse’s staircase while Woodward was already at the bottom. She yelled, “Larry what the hell happened?!” He yelled back, “He’s lucky he didn’t get twenty!” and walked out the courthouse front doors.
Order Amazon #1 Best Seller When Not If (Hardback, Kindle, Audio): https://www.amazon.com/When-Not-If-Overcoming-Adversity/dp/B0CKWTYSFF/r and on Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D2LQ6QNC and Chirp When Not If by John Kador & Jeff Martinovich - Audiobook (chirpbooks.com).
Just One More: Just One More: The Wisdom of Bob Vukovich: Martinovich, Mr Jeffrey A: 9781790554850: Amazon.com: Books
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