Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Page 4
Judge Deviates From Guidelines, Grants Leniency in Fraud Case
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California has been persuaded to deviate from the sentencing guidelines by sending a fraudster to prison for less than the low term of 21 months, the term called for by the government, taking into account that the defendant is age 64 with no criminal record.
Acceding to a plea by Fresno lawyer Anthony P. Capozzi for leniency, Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on Monday sentenced David Theron Ross to one year and a day in prison, followed by no term of probation.
The defendant must make restitution, however, in the amount of $1,430,045.35, primarily going to Great American Insurance Group. Ross is to surrender by noon on Friday.
He and a co-defendant perpetrated a scheme whereby a company ordered goods from a supplier, Ross picked up the merchandise, and then sold it locally, with the purchaser’s records being altered by the confederate to reflect receipt of the supplies.
Copyright 2026, Metropolitan News Company