Michael Cohen’s attempts to strike a deal with prosecutors to either delay or reduce his prison sentence have been unsuccessful, and on Monday he will report to the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, where he will serve a three-year sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes.
Cohen was initially set to begin his sentence March 6, but his attorneys argued successfully for his prison date to be pushed back by two months. Cohen has spent the last few months testifying publicly before Congress, appearing during a handful of closed-door sessions, and unsuccessfully trying to convince prosecutors that he has more to offer. A request for a second delay was denied.
During a brief appearance outside his midtown hotel, Michael Cohen delivered a brief statement to the press. In the statement, he claimed he had “much more to tell” – apparently a last-ditch effort to convince prosecutors to shorten his sentence in exchange for further cooperation.
“There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth. Thank you very much,” Cohen said before departing his midtown hotel for prison.
Cohen made it clear during his testimony back in February that he accepted responsibility for covering up President Trump’s dirty deeds. He also accepted responsibility when he pleaded guilty late last year as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.
“I blame myself for the conduct which has brought me here today, and it was my own weakness, and a blind loyalty to this man that led me to choose a path of darkness over light.”
Otisville, a medium-security prison, is home to the likes of former NFL star Darren Sharper, Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland and former reality TV star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino. The facility once ranked by Forbes as one of “America’s 10 Cushiest Prisons” and will allow Cohen to basically hang out away from his wife, playing horseshoes and working out with a bunch of like-minded criminals.
However, as one former Otisville case manager told the press that prison is still ‘no picnic’, and that Cohen might struggle – or even be thrown into protective custody – because of his reputation for being a ‘rat’ as the president once branded him. However, the prison does have access to kosher meals and a thriving Jewish community.
Here’s what a typical day looks like during the week: lights go on at 6 a.m., followed by breakfast. Work duties, such as mowing the grounds or cleaning up the prison, are performed from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a break for lunch at 11. Dinner is served beginning at 4:15 p.m, and it’s lights out at 11:30 p.m. Inmates get to sleep in on the weekends – with lights on at 7 a.m.
via ZeroHedge News http://bit.ly/2GYHX90 Tyler Durden