White collar criminals deserve more jail time

13th April 2016
Last September, the Sensible Sentencing Trust tried in vain to keep fraudster Rod Petricevic in jail. Petricevic was released on parole less than half way through his six and a half year sentence for defrauding investors of $460 million. Petricevic was released after he hired his own private psychologist to convince the Parole Board that he had gained a sudden insight into his offending, and was a changed man.

“I was very disappointed to hear that the Parole Board has again released two despicable fraudsters who defrauded trusting investors of millions of dollars...a $103 million Ponzi scheme in the case of Gavin Clifford Bennett, who spent investors’ money on high living, travel and prostitutes” said Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar.

“Bennett was sentenced to eight years in jail, and like Petricevic, is now able to walk around freely after serving less than half his sentence. That is a bloody disgrace” McVicar said.
“Like Petricevic, this mongrel will no doubt go back to living a lavish lifestyle in a trust owned luxury house, living on stolen money salted away in trusts while his fraud continued. Petricevic effectively ‘earned’ $115 million for each year he spent in jail; this guy didn’t do quite as well...he only has $20 million for each year of the short time he spent behind bars” said McVicar.

“The story with these guys is always the same – they are very well behaved in the low security prisons they are sent to. They are smart enough to obey all the rules, and crucially, there are no potential victims for million dollar fraudsters in jail. Of course they will be well behaved – that should count for nothing” McVicar said.

“It is important to understand that in a very real sense, these fraudsters are worse than the drugged up often illiterate losers who stick up liquor stores. While it is no excuse, the latter have often had hard upbringings and few chances in life. Offenders like Bennett have usually had it easy, going to the best schools and universities, and having every advantage in life” said McVicar.

“These guys also kill their victims, albeit indirectly and slowly, unlike in the liquor store robbery which goes wrong. It is well established that investors – particularly elderly investors who hitherto had a secure and comfortable retirement in front of them – often die unexpectedly months after being victimised by these vicious sharks in suits” McVicar said.

“We call upon the Parole Board to wake up to these manipulative white collar criminals. They should ignore their good behaviour in prison and focus on the damage they do, and the ill gotten gains awaiting them once they have done their pathetically short time. Petricevic, although bankrupt, was somehow able to hire the most expensive lawyer in the country to oppose us. I have no doubt that Bennett will also soon be seen swanning around town living his former lifestyle. It is high time the Parole Board woke up to these guys” said McVicar.

ENDS

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