The Zuckerman Law Firm represented a client facing 18 total counts for Insurance Fraud, Acquisition of a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Forgery and Theft by Deception in Armstrong County. The information listed in this article is a matter of public record, and does not include the disclosure of confidential information.

The client stood accused of writing fake prescription medications over a span of several years. Specifically, full confessions were made by the Defendant to the employer and members of law enforcement. Due to the high number of Schedule II controlled substances acquired, the client’s Offense Gravity Score was increased to a 13, carrying a range of guideline sentences from 5-10 years, up to 6.5-13 years.

Pursuant to lengthy negotiations that occurred between the firm and Attorney General’s Office, an agreement was reached where the prosecution agreed to reduce the Offense Gravity Score from a 13 down to a 5 in return for a guilty plea to Acquisition of a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation and Insurance Fraud. The agreement was accepted, but sentencing was left to the discretion of the Court. The guideline range sentence for the reduced OGS still carried anywhere from probation to 9-18 months in the county jail.

Prior to sentencing, the firm prepared and filed a detailed memorandum explaining the client’s rehabilitative efforts in a request for probation. At sentencing, the Court agreed that the client deserved a probationary sentence, and imposed a 2 year period of probation. This case serves as an important example as to why humanizing your client with both prosecutors and the court can be an effective tool in achieving justice.