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Stupid Defendant Tricks: Poor Photo-Editing Skills Edition

By Eric Lipman

When you're facing decades in federal prison on various and sundry fraud offenses, I imagine the temptation to use any means necessary to try to shave a few years off your sentence is rather strong. I also imagine that, if you're the kind of person who would use a fake cashier's check to buy a $30,000 car, you might not have the greatest judgment. But editing yourself into pictures that make it look like you're engaged in charity work and other good deeds, and then submitting those photos to the judge as part of your attempt to plead for leniency -- come on! Lowering the Bar has the story of Daryl Simon, in two parts. Simon doctored photos to make it appear as though he was the kind of guy who helped patients in rehab and physical therapy, and mentored teenagers. But he wasn't smart enough to realize that the U.S. Attorney's office might figure out that he used the same shot of himself in two of the pictures, simply reversing the image. This, and the submission of fake supportive sentencing letters from charitable organizations and individuals, got Simon a two-point sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice, with the net...

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on July 20, 2010 (boomark / email).