Shrout, Winston

[Jeffrey]

The trolls have mentioned that Shrouts website is back up. Maybe the prosecutor should bring that up at the next hearing.

I’m also fine with compassionate release as long as it’s contingent on a mea culpa from Shrout. If he remains unrepentant he should stay locked up.

[Pottapaug1938]

Given that Shrout ran and hid when it was time for him to begin serving his sentence, I don't think that he deserves much, if anything, in the way of a compassionate release. I also see no signs of repentance or reform.

[NYGman]

Don't think he deserves any compassion. If released he will most likely claim he was right all along, and that they released him for Covid, as cover so as to not admit the truth. Charlatan!

[TheNewSaint]

I think Winston Shrout should receive the same amount of compassion he showed for others during his life.

[wserra]

The trolls have mentioned that Shrouts website is back up.

I don't think the entire site ever went down. The three places from which Shrout could get money - "membership", store and seminars - went down and are still down. Check it out.

Even Shrout has - and should have - free speech. He can blather as much as he wants, so long as he isn't promoting the blather by making money on it. If I were to find those parts of the site up, I would inform the govt.

[Pottapaug1938]

So, let Shrout enjoy his freedom of speech -- for now, while serving his sentence.

[Frater I*I]

Agreed. He leaves a trail of broken lives behind him because of his scams, Schiff died in prison because of his crimes, Shrout can too.

[notorial dissent]

I feel Z E R O sympathy for him, the man is a compulsive liar, and I believe a life long con artist, loathsome individual leaving behind a looooooong trail of bodies. What possible compassion could there be for poor whiney Winny? I will take the case that if does in fact have the virus he if more likely to get proper treatment and medical in prison than out, and that way he won't have to shell out any of his own hard scammed money. At his age he ought to be taking bet results choice and not the Winny ego choice.

[TheNewSaint]

I look at it this way: surely there are better candidates for compassionate release than Shrout.

[The Observer]

I think this is the key factor:

“He did catch coronavirus but medical records show his condition is stable and improving,‘' Wexler argued. He said Shrout never showed a fever. While his X-rays indicated he had pneumonia, it’s improving, Wexler said.

It seems Winnie is one of the many lucky ones who contracted the virus and got off comparatively lightly. He should remain in prison. Otherwise a standard is set that anyone contracting the virus should be let out. If Shrout was dying from this disease, then compassionate release would be appropriate.

But I think it is there is a fair possibility a judge is going to look at the risk factors involved in Shrout's health profile and grant the release. After all, violent offenders have been released under this pandemic (and a few of these committed further violence on their release) so why in a justice's mind should Winston be treated any different?

[TheNewSaint]

Denied (h/t The Fogbow):

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/0 ... rison.html

A judge has denied tax dodger Winston Shrout’s request for early release from prison, finding that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has properly managed Shrout’s coronavirus and he appears to have recovered.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones found the 72-year-old hadn’t proven that his medical condition rose to an “extraordinary and compelling'' reason warranting a sentence reduction.

Even if his medical condition did warrant release, the judge said he would have rejected Shrout’s proposed release plan, which called for him to remain on home confinement in a trailer in Utah.

Jones noted that Shrout, given the chance to surrender after he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for tax fraud, failed to turn himself in and was taken into custody on an arrest warrant in Arizona after a nationwide search.

“Shrout has proven by his behavior that his promises are meaningless. He lied to the Court and the probation officer when he promised that he would self-report to prison," Jones wrote in his ruling. “There are no combinations of conditions the Court could impose that would ensure that Shrout would remain in home confinement and compliant with the other general and special conditions.”

The ruling: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents ... HROUT.html

[NYGman]

What a shame he's not getting out, I am so so sad. Such a deserving person.

[AndyK]

“Shrout has proven by his behavior that his promises are meaningless. He lied to the Court and the probation officer when he promised that he would self-report to prison," Jones wrote in his ruling. “There are no combinations of conditions the Court could impose that would ensure that Shrout would remain in home confinement and compliant with the other general and special conditions.”

I respectfully disagree. The court could have ordered that he be manacled to his bed and restricted to use a bed pan, to be emptied every other day by Nurse Ratched.

[Dark Optimist]

That's not nice to the nurse. Maybe change it once a week.

[The Observer]

Just wondering if it has occurred to Shrout by now that he did himself no favors by failing to report. If he had, the judge may have ordered him released instead of denying his request.

[TBL]

Just wondering if it has occurred to Shrout by now that he did himself no favors by failing to report. If he had, the judge may have ordered him released instead of denying his request.

I sincerely doubt that admitting any fault is in Shrout's wheelhouse.

[notorial dissent]

Just wondering if it has occurred to Shrout by now that he did himself no favors by failing to report. If he had, the judge may have ordered him released instead of denying his request.

I sincerely doubt that admitting any fault is in Shrout's wheelhouse.

Much less even think of it unless it was part of some con.

[The Observer]

Update on Shrout:

He is still incarcerated at FCI Terminal Island. He is 75 years old, and is scheduled to be released in May of 2027. That means he will be at least 79 years of age if he is still surviving.