Risoldi appeals jail sentence for third time

Twice convicted felon Claire Risoldi is appealing her 2019 jail sentence for participating in a multimillion dollar fraud scheme for a third time in three years.

The 75-year-old Buckingham socialite and political influencer was scheduled to report to Bucks County Correctional Center on Monday to begin serving her 11 1/2 to 23 month sentence.

But her attorney, Michael Diamondstein, confirmed in an email Tuesday his client is appealing the sentence again on the grounds the trial court erred in deeming her not "re-entry eligible."

Risoldi remains free on bail while the case is moved to the appellate court. It is unknown when the court will consider the case.

The new appeal comes one month after senior Judge Stephen Lieberman rejected Risoldi as eligible for the reentry program, since one does not exist in Bucks County, and refused to consider changing the sentence imposed by the original trial judge in the case, who retired in 2020.

A spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Attorney General on Tuesday said Lieberman has been clear about his reasons for denying reentry, which are documented in the court record.

In 2019, Risoldi was sentenced to jail time for her conviction in a $13 million insurance fraud scheme involving a 2013 fire at her former family estate, Clairemont.

The only jail time Risoldi has served in the case has been 30-days in 2019 for violating a court order, and five days in 2016, after she was arrested on witness intimidation charges that were later dismissed.

The crime made national headlines in 2015 after Risoldi, several members of her family and two family associations were charged with fraud and related charges for swindling insurer AIG out of $10 million in false claims.

A jury found that Risoldi collected $2.75 million in fraudulent claims and attempted to bilk AIG out of another $10 million for a false claim on a separate jewlery policy. Risoldi falsely accused volunteer firefighters of stealing her jewelry during the 2013 fire.

At the time of their arrests, the Risoldi family, who maintained the charges were politically motivated, were well known in Bucks County social circles for hosting lavish fundraisers, social events and GOP political candidates at Clairemont.

In 1990, Risoldi was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to two counts of federal mail fraud for using false medical documents to defraud her first husband's union health insurance provider out of $13,028.