Disgraced former Congressman Chris Collins is expected face the music Friday and appear in Manhattan federal court to be sentenced for his conviction on insider trading charges.
Prosecutors have urged Judge Vernon Broderick to slap the Republican with nearly five years behind bars, while Collins’ lawyers asked he be allowed to spend a year and a day on home confinement at his house in Florida home.
The pleas from both sides have been accompanied by dozens of letters from Collins’ former constituents in District 27, slamming the ex-lawmaker for his lies and deceit while in office.
The 69-year-old won reelection while under federal indictment, dismissing the charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI as “fake news.”
He finally pleaded guilty in October 2019, and admitted to calling his son Cameron from the White House Rose Garden to share news of a failed drug trial at an Australian biotech company where he sat on the board.
Cameron, 26, subsequently dumped his shares in Innate Immunotherapeutics, avoiding some $571,000 in losses. Cameron also called his fiancee’s father, Stephen Zarsky, allowing him to trade on the info.
Cameron and Zarsky also pleaded guilty to insider trading. Both face sentencing later this month.