Chapter 19 - Julian’s Trial
The jury received the case after three weeks.
Charges were not everything prosecutors could imagine.
They selected strongest:
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving sham vendors and forged corporate/trust documents.
Wire fraud counts tied to specific payments and bank communications.
Attempted bank/transaction fraud tied to Mercer Capital property acquisition.
Identity-related fraud/forgery? Federal aggravated identity theft may apply to use another person's signature/identifiers, but avoid statutory specifics. Use unlawful use of identification in fraud.
Obstruction/witness tampering related to Victoria message after bond.
State coercion/assault-related charges handled separately or concurrent plea after federal.
No attempted murder.
No kidnapping.
No “asylum” crime.
Then jury.
Guilty on conspiracy.
Guilty on Vale Strategic wire counts.
Guilty on Mercer Property sham counts.
Guilty on attempted $9.8 million transaction fraud.
Guilty on fraudulent use of my identity/document.
Guilty witness tampering.
Not guilty on one count alleging he personally accessed funeral portal because evidence showed Victoria typed; conspiracy still covered.
That mattered.
No blanket.
Then state case.
Julian later pleaded to attempted coercion/extortion related hospital document demands and admitted rolling Hazel away as pressure but no separate kidnapping charge.
Sentence coordinated.
Federal sentencing loss calculation debated.
Actual loss ~$1.74m company, partially recovered.
Attempted loss from Mercer Capital not full $9.8m because transaction would exchange assets? But intended undervalue difference and control. Court considered intended loss perhaps around $7m discount plus outflow exposure. Modern guidelines complicated. We don't need exact formula.
Victim impact.
Company.
Me.
Then Julian spoke.
For first time, no lawyer language.
“I believed because I helped build Vance Development, I was entitled to part.”
Then:
“I was angry Genevieve could remove me from company and marriage without losing what I helped create.”
That was his truth.
Then:
“I started stealing before I admitted I was stealing.”
He looked toward me? I attended sentencing.
“I convinced myself Vale invoices were compensation.”
Then:
“I convinced myself the trust amendment was correcting something unfair.”
Then:
“When Genevieve went into labor, I treated her medical crisis like a business opportunity.”
The courtroom silent.
Then:
“I am ashamed.”
Was he?
Maybe.
Then Hazel.
“I love my daughter.”
I looked down.
“Nothing I did in that hospital showed it.”
That was at least accurate.
Then judge.
Sentence:
Eleven years and four months federal custody, with state sentence partly concurrent, followed by three years supervised release.
Restitution to Vance Development and related victims after insurance/forfeiture credits.
Forfeiture of assets traceable to fraud.
No contact with me except court/family process.
Financial employment restrictions during supervision.
Not life.
Not thirty.
Julian was thirty six.
He could come out in his forties.
That terrified me more than a dramatic permanent ending.
Sarah whispered:
“Future has courts too.”
I nodded.
Then appeal.
He appealed evidentiary rulings and sentence.
Two years later, conviction affirmed. One minor count merged/technical correction reduced sentence by several months.
Effective sentence around ten years ten months.
May you like
No release.
Final.
