LawFuel.com –
LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, announced that DEBRA RYAN, 46, was
sentenced today to 3 years of probation, including a 4 months of home
confinement, for aiding and abetting SAMUEL ISRAEL, III, in his effort to
avoid surrendering to commence serving his own 20-year sentence. RYAN’s
sentence was imposed by United States District Judge KENNETH M. KARAS in
White Plains federal court.
As stated by RYAN during her plea and by the Government at
various proceedings in the case:
RYAN knew that ISRAEL was required to begin serving a 20-year
sentence for fraud on June 9, 2008. On the night before ISRAEL was
supposed to go to prison, RYAN, in her car, followed ISRAEL, who was
driving an RV, to a highway rest area. ISRAEL left the RV at the rest
area and RYAN drove him back to the house they shared. Thereafter, on
numerous occasions through June 19, 2008, during interviews with law
enforcement officers who were investigating ISRAEL’s whereabouts, RYAN
lied to and misled the officers. For example, on June 10, 2008, RYAN
informed the New York State Police that she had located a suicide note
written by ISRAEL, and she then provided the note to them.
On March 16, 2009, ISRAEL pleaded guilty to failure to
surrender to serve his sentence and he is scheduled to be sentenced by
Judge KARAS on that charge on July 15, 2009.
Assistant United States Attorneys SARAH R. KRISSOFF and MARGERY
B. FEINZIG are in charge of the criminal prosecutions.
09-180 ###
