The criminal investigation took a lot longer.
Madison eventually entered a plea agreement. Probation. Restitution to cover the investigation costs. Community service. And formal restrictions on ever accessing a financial account that wasn’t her own. Her cooperation, and the fact that the transfer had never actually gone through, counted heavily in her favor.
Richard faced much more serious charges. The hidden account in Maryland. The text messages. The photographed credentials. The lies to the bank. Together, they made a pattern that was impossible to explain away as an honest misunderstanding.
He pleaded guilty rather than risk a trial.
His sentence included time in prison, supervised release afterward, and restitution tied to the company losses investigators could trace back to his fraud.
The last time I saw him in person was at his sentencing hearing.
Ezoic
Eleanor sat directly behind him, in a navy dress, clutching her purse in her lap. Graham sat two full rows back from her. Madison sat beside her own attorney near the aisle, looking at the floor.
