LESSON: Leaders controlling significant profits and value must know the federal government does not care about the victims of financial errors or crimes. Even though restoration of victims and losses should be the priority, overzealous tactics in criminal courts continually kill the golden goose and all parties always lose. The system achieves the opposite of its stated objective, and they don’t care because it’s not how they get promoted and rewarded.
The below lesson is an excerpt from my recently released Amazon #1 Best Seller, When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity, Forbes Books, 2024.
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) statistics show that less than 1% of outstanding restitution orders for corporate fraud or victims are collected each year, and since the courts indict and prosecute more and more people every year this huge volume of uncollected debt keeps ballooning. And remember, even if completely innocent, these defendants cannot afford to test the 98.5% conviction rate and trial penalty to serve 3-4x more time than their plea agreement with restitution ordered. It is a factory line of humans. What is the point? Not to help the victims but to control the masses.
As I battled the federal government, my motions and petitions repeatedly asked, “Why would you kill the company, the golden goose, which supported 100 associates and families, stockholders, 3,000 clients, and a long list of charity and community organizations. If you want to kill me, fine, but why destroy an incredible company and these amazing people.” To which I would get denial after denial, of course. I quickly learned the government had zero regard for the lives of the citizens who pay all their salaries. It was all theater.
When I returned from prison 4 years ago, luckily 7 years early by reversing the decisions, I served many masters while working to rebuild the world. I knew that to restore my employees, my shareholders, and my family I would need to create a large number of new miracles, but I was rested and more driven than ever.
I executed my halfway house approved day job for an aerospace firm in Florida and worked five extra projects during the night and early mornings. By a lot of hard work, and a great deal of good fortune, I was able to create a process for paying the stakeholders, taking care of my family, and building for the future.
Then, on a random Tuesday, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) called me at work and ordered me to return home from my defense contractor job. I could not work there anymore. The explanation was nebulous. It was just reestablishing control over someone who had reversed the courts and removed judges. I submitted another BOP submission for another position, and it was rejected. I submitted a janitorial position with a downtown Norfolk gym, but even this was rejected. On the critical last 30th day, the BOP approved a new job instead of returning me to prison.
Based on this continuing debacle, the aerospace manufacturer offered to acquire more of my time and commitment. More providence. The owner, Brian Raduenz, proposed to the Department of Justice to pay $500,000 to my victims in return for transitioning me from home confinement to supervised release – a minor lifestyle change which allowed me to work even more for the company, my family, and my restitution recipients. The July 1, 2020, offer from his attorneys stated, “I write today on behalf of Mr. Martinovich to offer a payment of half a million dollars ($500,000.00) to be distributed to the individual victims pursuant to the restitution orders. The funds are in my firm trust account ready for immediate payment.” I couldn’t believe this offer of restoration for everyone.
U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber and Asst. U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels adamantly opposed the motions to provide this significant restoration to the citizens. This incredibly rare gift was denied. All our criminal and corporate attorneys were outraged. They could not believe the decisions to continually deny restitution and remedy to the people they claim to represent. Wasn’t this the purpose of the system? Judge Wright Allen had previously stated on the record it “would take a miracle” to pay back our stakeholders, but now, not even a miracle would work.
See through the rhetoric of these government agencies and begin to understand their actions. Protect your success. Knowledge is power. Take care of your family. Have a great week!
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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