[vincesanity82]

A California sports agent was sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling five Cuban baseball players into the United States. District Judge K. Michael Moore issued the mandatory minimum sentence Monday to agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez.Defense attorney J. Stephen Salter said Moore allowed Dominguez to serve his sentence in a "camp-type" facility near his home and participate in a drug and alcohol program to combat a drinking problem he developed during the trial.
Federal prosecutors believe the 48-year-old Dominguez helped organize two smuggling trips in 2004. The first failed but the second succeeded and ballplayers reached Big Pine Key.
Dominguez was charged with nearly two dozen federal crimes, including conspiracy, smuggling, transporting and harboring. He was convicted in April and had faced more than 200 years in federal prison, Salter said.
"He's doing well, under the circumstances," Salter said. "He has the full support of his family, and a lot of friends, and friends in baseball."
More than a dozen family members, friends and members of the sports industry wrote to the judge on behalf of Dominguez, including Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Simontacchi and Chicago Cubs catcher Henry Blanco.

"I have always considered Gus to be a person of strong character and high moral principles," Koufax wrote. "He has an unshakable love for his culture and does his best to serve as a role model for players he represents, especially Latin players."

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Baseball agent gets five years

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by vincesanity82

A California sports agent was sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling five Cuban baseball players into the United States. District Judge K. Michael Moore issued the mandatory minimum sentence Monday to agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez.Defense attorney J. Stephen Salter said Moore allowed Dominguez to serve his sentence in a "camp-type" facility near his home and participate in a drug and alcohol program to combat a drinking problem he developed during the trial.
Federal prosecutors believe the 48-year-old Dominguez helped organize two smuggling trips in 2004. The first failed but the second succeeded and ballplayers reached Big Pine Key.
Dominguez was charged with nearly two dozen federal crimes, including conspiracy, smuggling, transporting and harboring. He was convicted in April and had faced more than 200 years in federal prison, Salter said.
"He's doing well, under the circumstances," Salter said. "He has the full support of his family, and a lot of friends, and friends in baseball."
More than a dozen family members, friends and members of the sports industry wrote to the judge on behalf of Dominguez, including Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Simontacchi and Chicago Cubs catcher Henry Blanco.

"I have always considered Gus to be a person of strong character and high moral principles," Koufax wrote. "He has an unshakable love for his culture and does his best to serve as a role model for players he represents, especially Latin players."

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Baseball agent gets five years

anyone see a certain amount of hypocrisy here?...a guys gets 5 years for bringing in players that will actually make a good living playing ball (yep, its wrong and against the law) at the same time we want to give amnesty to 5 million illegals aliens already here?...don't make sense to me...

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

anyone see a certain amount of hypocrisy here?...a guys gets 5 years for bringing in players that will actually make a good living playing ball (yep, its wrong and against the law) at the same time we want to give amnesty to 5 million illegals aliens already here?...don't make sense to me...

i agree it's a messed up situation (though i must say i dont like the use of "we", as i would kick out all illegals in a heartbeat) .... im glad he got something as you stated it is against the law and i firmly believe you dont cry foul after you break the law, you try and change it before ...... but im also glad they seem to have gone easy on him (5 yrs vs 200 yrs) i dont blame him at all for doing anything he can to try and help these kids

reminds me of a story i once heard on a radio talk show ....... a man called in and asked if it was ever ok to lie ..... the host (to the callers astonishment) said, of course it is ..... if im outside a house that you go in, and a murderer comes looking for you, should i tell him where you are ? ..... seems simple enough to me

not sure that was relavent, but it just popped into my head

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by simple simon

i agree it's a messed up situation (though i must say i dont like the use of "we", as i would kick out all illegals in a heartbeat) .... im glad he got something as you stated it is against the law and i firmly believe you dont cry foul after you break the law, you try and change it before ...... but im also glad they seem to have gone easy on him (5 yrs vs 200 yrs) i dont blame him at all for doing anything he can to try and help these kids

reminds me of a story i once heard on a radio talk show ....... a man called in and asked if it was ever ok to lie ..... the host (to the callers astonishment) said, of course it is ..... if im outside a house that you go in, and a murderer comes looking for you, should i tell him where you are ? ..... seems simple enough to me

not sure that was relavent, but it just popped into my head

I used "we" as a collective statement for the US...as in "We the people"...and since when did you need it to be relavent to make a statement...

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

I used "we" as a collective statement for the US...as in "We the people"

too bad the Constitution means very little so often these days

...and since when did you need it to be relavent to make a statement...

too true