George Martorano
| George Martorano | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 Philadelphia, United States |
| Other names | George Martorano |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Released |
| Conviction(s) | Drug possession and distribution |
George Martorano (born 1950) was the longest-serving first-time non-violent offender in the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the time of his release. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1988 on drugs charges. Martonaro was released in October 2015 after serving 27 years.
In 1984, on the advice of his attorney Robert Simone, Martorano pleaded guilty to 19 counts of drug possession and distribution. Martorano was subsequently advised by both the prosecution and the judge, John Berne Hannum, that this plea could result in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The prosecution, however, had only recommended a sentence of from 40 to 54 months. On September 20, 1984, Martorano was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the longest prison term ever imposed on a first-time non-violent offender in American history.
Prior to Martorano's sentencing, Simone was indicted on tax evasion charges. Again, before sentence was imposed in the Martorano case, Judge Hannum testified as a character witness for Simone. An article appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News criticizing the judge and called his testimony "highly unusual". Martorano stated in subsequent appeals that Judge Hannum should have recused himself from his case prior to imposing sentence.
Martorano distinguished himself during his time in federal prison. In addition to being a "model" prisoner, Martorano:
Martorano appealed his original sentence in 1987 and appeared again before Judge Hannum, receiving the same sentence. Subsequently, Martorano has filed over 35 appeals. All the presiding judges upheld the original sentence.
Martorano was released from United States Penitentiary, Coleman, Florida, on October 5, 2015. His release was part of thousands of prisoners released by the Department of Justice to "reduce overcrowding and provide relief to drug offenders who received harsh sentences".
...
Wikipedia