Kurniawan appeal rebuffed

An appeal by convicted fraudster Rudy Kurniawan to have his 10-year sentence reduced has been challenged by a US attorney.

Kurniawan’s lawyers filed papers in April of this year arguing that his sentence had been overly harsh and calling for a dismissal of the conviction.

They argued that the search of his home following his arrest was unlawful, so the evidence discovered there – the “wine factory” – should have been suppressed, and that as the victims of his fraud were wealthy the financial impact was lower and this should have been taken into account during sentencing.

However, as reported by Wine–Searcher, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, has rebuffed the appeal and made the counter-argument in his own submissions that the arrest and sentencing were entirely correct.

His submission archly dismisses Kurniawan’s suggestion that his crime was less severe because he targeted high-net-worth individuals and added that “judge Berman’s rejection of that argument was, to say the least, well within his discretion.”

Kurniawan’s lawyers have filed a motion in order to gain time to respond to the submissions which need to be handed in by 24 August.

And so the “Rip-off Rudy” saga rolls on.