Friday Judge Kiyo Matsumoto sentenced ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli to seven years in prison for securities fraud pursuant to Retrophin (RTRX), the biotech Shkreli founded. Shkreli was facing up to 15 years. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman asked Judge Matsumoto not to throw the book at Shkreli “for being Shkreli.” The strategy might have worked because Brafman seemed pleased with the verdict:
Brafman: When the guidelines are 25 years and the government is demanding 15 years one would think a seven year sentence is good. I’m disappointed. I thought the sentence should have been less than seven years … obviously it could have been a lot worse. The government did not get what they wanted. We did not get what we wanted either. This is a good judge who I think spent a great deal of time trying to examine the facts … She made her decision and we all have to live with it.
