Once living large in The Rock’s former mansion, pharmacist sent to slammer for 17 years
His crib was a French-style chateau that once belonged to
But Francois did not make his small fortune because of some entrepreneurial success. Instead, a federal jury found, he ripped off tens of millions of dollars from a
On Friday, a
It's a system built on trust, which made TRICARE vulnerable to the seasoned Francois, 52, former owner of
"His business was founded on a lie. Every morning he got up and decided, 'How much money am I going to make?' '' prosecutor
U.S. District Judge
Gayles settled on that number, saying it was "appropriate" for Francois' prison time.
At his sentencing, Francois, along with his wife, sought leniency. "I have made a lot of mistakes," he told the judge. "This experience has been devastating to me."
Francois, who was called "POTUS" (President of
Tonge was sentenced to 15 1/2 years for his supporting role in the conspiracy to defraud the military program. But, in an unusual speech to the judge, Tonge refused to accept responsibility for his crime and blamed the fact that he is a black man in America for being prosecuted. Gayles, who is black, reprimanded the defendant for using race as an excuse for his wrongdoing.
According to trial evidence,
On Friday,
With the proceeds from the TRICARE payments, Francois purchased Johnson's 10,000-square-foot, French-style chateau in
Since his arrest more than a year ago, Francois was detained without bond in a tiny jail cell in downtown
Francois was one of 14 defendants implicated in the
Francois, a
Bernstein, who worked on the case with fellow prosecutor
___
(c)2018 Miami Herald
Visit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Idaho’s health insurance dispute comes down to the meaning of just 1 word
Fundraiser held for detective who lost home in landslide
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News