Chapter 12 - The Gavel Falls
The judge adjusted his glasses, looking down at the paperwork before him. He did not look sympathetic.
"Sarah Vance," the judge's voice boomed through the silent courtroom. "White-collar crime is often treated with a lighter touch in this country. People look at a boardroom and think a crime committed with a pen is less damaging than a crime committed with a gun. But fraud destroys lives, pensions, and trust."
He looked directly at Sarah. "You utilized your privilege to orchestrate a sophisticated theft, and your post-settlement behavior demonstrates a staggering lack of contrition."
Sarah gripped the edge of the defense table, her knuckles white.
"On the three counts of wire fraud, I sentence you to sixty months in a federal correctional facility. On the count of corporate espionage, I sentence you to an additional twenty-four months, to be served consecutively."
A collective gasp echoed through the gallery. Eighty-four months. Seven years.
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"Furthermore," the judge continued, "you are ordered to pay complete restitution of the legal fees incurred by Thorne Holdings, and you are permanently barred from serving as an officer or director of any public or private financial institution. Bail is revoked. The defendant is remanded to the custody of the US Marshals."
Two armed marshals stepped forward, pulling Sarah’s hands behind her back. The sharp click of handcuffs echoing in the courtroom was the loudest sound Julian had ever heard. As she was led away, she didn't look back. There was no defiant smirk. There was only the shattered reality of a ruined life.
